"Specifically speaking, the number of historical lanes and hutongs in Beijing was well in excess of 6,000 in its heyday, but now the figure is below 1,500, since there are only approximately 600 hutongs in the designated 30 patches of historical and cultural protection areas. How to protect the remaining 900 is yet unclear", Shan said.

The historic area of Beijing is the essence of Chinese traditional culture, so now we must "protect the legacy of the way we cherish our life", Shan said. He also stresses that the strategic direction of preserving Beijing’s rich cultural heritage must be adjusted and the unbalanced development mode of the city needs to be changed. Plus, priorities have to be set in clarifying the capital’s functions, and a comprehensive protection plan should be adopted.

The director of the Palace Museum also suggests that an expansion of the protection area is urgent. "On the premise of protecting the historical sites that are already listed, enlarging the preservation area, including areas that have the basic "Hutong-courtyard house" structure into the list is an opportunity that can't be missed for better heritage protection of the capital", he said.