Gulou Plans Finalized: No Additional Demolition Planned

On-again off-again rumors of a massive redevelopment around the Bell and Drum towers have been circulating all year, ever since theBeijinger.com reported in January that the Gulou area was facing imminent demolition. This morning both the Global Times and China Daily reported that plans to demolish the hutongs around the historic towers to make way for a “Time Cultural City” have been “officially abandoned.”

According to the reports, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage approved plans for a much smaller museum to be constructed just southeast of the Drum Tower on October 25, although the approval was not announced to the public until last week (November 30). The announcement follows vague reports back in September that the original Time Cultural City proposal was to be shelved.

The good news is the new museum will not necessitate any further demolition, as it will be located on the vacant lot directly opposite the Drum Tower, on the southeast corner of the Guloudong Dajie and Di'anmenwai Dajie intersection. For several years this lot has been used as a car park, but construction of the new museum has now begun.

China Daily reports the new museum will occupy “a 0.6-hectare site,” a huge reduction from the originally proposed 12.5 hectare development.

The Global Times report states: “Generally, no major construction projects are planned for the old city area, according to the Beijing government's Suggestions to Strongly Promote Cultural Development in the Capital's Core Areas, which was issued on November 4.”

Of course the absence of “major construction projects” does not preclude the piecemeal destruction of the old city center which has been taking place for years.