Beijing to protect city's famous sites

Beijing will preserve historical building and the former residences of famous people under a draft bill by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, Beijing News reported Tuesday.

The commission says it has completed the first draft of a code for the classification of urban and rural land use with "protected area" to preserve famous sites.

Protected area refers to designated cultural relics or a cluster of buildings of historical and cultural significance which need to be preserved, said an official with the commission.

It means that once a piece of land is classified as a "protected area" it will be preserved by law.

"Beijing is a city that boasts a time-honored history and culture deposits, and there are many former residences here as well as some streets and alleys that embody Beijing's characteristics," the official said. "Setting up protected areas not only helps the preservation and renovation of these sites, but encourages more surveillance from the public."