In this episode, Jeremiah and David talk with Matthew Hu, former Managing Directory of the Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center, Co-founder of the Beijing Courtyard Institute, and a longtime activist for the preservation and restoration of historic Beijing architecture and historical landmarks. This episode is definitely for lovers of old Beijing and hutong aficionados, as we take a deep historical dive into the ongoing struggle to maintain and preserve Beijing's historic architecture and cultural sites against the wrecking ball of urban modernization. Matthew covers topics such as the preservationist Liang Sicheng's abandoned vision for the Old City and the city wall, the botched renovation schemes for areas such as Qianmen and Dashilanr, the waves of demolition and evictions in the hutong neighborhoods of Dongcheng and Xicheng, as well as the ongoing municipal project to renovate and revitalize the city's abandoned industrial sites, such as the Shougang Iron and Steel Works, into Olympic venues.
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