The Patient Nook

by+Ta+Mei

It is becoming harder to find the origi- nal flavors of old Beijing in a city now brimming with skyscrapers and Western lifestyles. Dashilar Street is one of the last refuges of the original traces of the city， where visitors can eat the most authentic Beijing snacks， buy antique items， hear the traditional local accent and see classical hutong （narrow alleys） life.

However， knee-high water on rainy days， single toilets shared by several house- holds and less-than-ideal living conditions are also representative of Dashilar. Few suggestions have emerged on how to renovate the district to create an agreeable environment while preserving tradition. So， in some ways it feels like the renovation of Dashilar is stuck at a dead end. Governments and individuals are trying new ways to dig value out of the old community while balancing traditional culture and modern life.

Organic Renovation

In most cases， renovation of an old community means demolition of the houses and compensation to residents. But Dashilar， an area of 1.26 square kilometers only 600 meters from Tiananmen Square， is brimming with ancient cultural relics while home to about 40，000 families in central Beijing. If all residents moved out， the government would have to pay out as much as hundreds of billions of yuan， a steep price tag for the municipality.

Alongside economic concerns， the tremendous cultural value of the historical block has stopped the wrecking balls. In 2011， the government of Xicheng District， in which the block is located， announced the Dashilar Update Plan， which was carried out by Dashilar Investment Corpora- tion. The project introduced new methods to protect and restore the community.

“You cant just knock down the old buildings and replace them with some retro-fashioned abodes，” explains Jia Rong， head of the project. “Plans like that just dont work.” Historical streets are like small cities composed of many people. Renovation doesnt happen with just one project， a single business development plan or monotonous protection measure. Renewal requires joint efforts from the government， market and local residents.

“We can see that the government is determined to explore a new model，” Jia remarks. “The government found that relying only on its own abilities or those of the market wouldnt work. We picked a pilot street in which the new model could be practiced and improved. We hope to give confidence to local residents， businessmen and other stakeholders.”

Ancient Fusion

Yangzhumeixie Street was selected as the first pilot. Only about 500 meters long， the street was once home to many book stores， where intellectuals， famous writers and celebrities frequented. Today， the book stores and former residences of famous people are dilapidated and the street is cluttered with squatters and unauthorized buildings. Dashilar Investment Corporation allows residents to either move out voluntarily or stay. Those who choose to move get either money or a new house in other place， courtesy of the government. Because there was no timeline for the project， now vacant houses are scattered throughout the hutongs. When Dashilar Investment Corporation investigates possible new tenant businesses， they make sure the company can attract enough customers on their own merits even if hidden in an isolated hutong. New commercial establishments must recognize the goals of Dashilars reinvigoration plan， bring their own charm and culture， match the style of architecture， respect local lifestyles and live harmoniously with local residents.

Because of such strict rules， only a few vendors have dared set up shop on the street， but some， like Jia Rong， think this is a good thing. Many are happy to see Dashilar avoid overdevelopment. She thinks that the commercial development of Nanluoguxiang was excessive， and that transforming every hutong into a tourist attraction is unsustainable. “As a pilot street， we can develop as slowly as we want， but we must avoid a fatal mistake.”

The 20-plus shops stationed on the street include restaurants， coffee shops and storefronts for young designers and artists. Patrons of these shops are often modern young people. Not far away， seniors play mahjong with their door half-open and a pile of honeycomb coal briquettes glowing near the gate. The scenes contrast each other sharply， but such a mixed style only makes the street a bigger draw.

Finding a New Plan

Planners want to avoid renovating Dashilar into a commercial district. The goal of the “Dashilar Upgrade Plan” is to ultimately integrate social resources with residents efforts.

In early 2013， Dashilar Investment Corporation and Beijing Design Week jointly launched Dashilar Pilot Programs in hope of collecting public ideas for Dashilar renewal. For one project， they invited architects to design prototype rooms in some empty space.

The Plugin of Courtyard 72 on Yangzhumeixie Street is the most representative. After 200 years of weathering， the houses in courtyard 72 were in shambles. After a simple cleanup， designers spent more than a week assembling prefabricated structures in the courtyard space. They settled on a warm， comfortable and modern addition featuring toilets and bath tubs. Such auxiliary structures have already been added to many courtyards in the area.

“As an ancient street is restored， we should pay more attention to its intangible traits，” explains Wang Xu， director of the Dashilar construction project. “We dont want the residents to all move out， or the street will lose a major driver of its beauty， vitality and flavor.”

The Dashilar Update Plan has been going on for five years now. In Jia Rongs opinion， the neighborhood still has a long way to go to develop an endogenous and sustainable growth model. “Dashilar is an open district，” Jia notes. “So long as the residents are happy and the streets have some cultural identity， we dont have to push towards a defined direction or aim.”

In June 2015， Wang Ning， then-Party secretary of Xicheng District， remarked that although the renewal of Dashilar had been progressing slowly， the project had avoided catastrophic destruction of irreplaceable relics. “Only by enduring loneliness can the project proceed smoothly and successfully， without missteps，” he declared.