Beijing has decided recently not to remove the former residence of Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940).
Cai was a prominent Chinese scholar who was involved in the old democratic revolution in the early 20th century, when the May 4th Movement of 1919, an anti-imperialist and anti-feudal political and cultural movement, led by intellectuals was on the rise.
When the movement broke out, Cai, principal of Peking University at that time, was living in a typical Beijing style courtyard house in the Dongtangzi Hutong, in Dongcheng District of Beijing.
A land agent of Beijing planned to remove Cai's old house which was located near a section of land in the process of being developed.
Local departments of Beijing on cultural relics protection and city planning made their decision early this month that it is proper to preserve the house at its original site instead of relocating it, according to Wang Guangtao, vice-mayor of Beijing.
The land agent accepted the resolution and is now revising its former plan to protect the house of Cai Yuanpei.
Beijing insists on protecting cultural relics in the process of urban construction. It will invest 300 million yuan (over US$36 million) in that effort and take up a large project to renovate a group of historic areas.
(www.eastday.com.cn 12/17/2000)
