Are there also environmental factors in Beijing that threaten local sites?
What about the city’s infamous pollution? Acid rain can destroy some of the stone parts of cultural heritage sites. Actually, if you look into the courtyards in hutong neighborhoods, many parts of our yards are made of stone. And because of acid rain, some parts of them are peeling off. You can see the old carving, but if the last renovation was done in the Qing Dynasty, at least a hundred years ago, it’s peeling off. This kind of acid rain is destroying ancient sites. Does the government ever provide financial assistance to hutong residents? It depends. There’s a micro-circulation policy by the government, by the housing department. For example, in a historical preservation district, housing department people will go into a courtyard, talk to the local residents, and find out their opinions. If all of them agree, maybe 10 families, 11 families, if they all agree, they will sign a contract. The government will then go in and renovate their house without cost. But they need to find hous
