Keen guidance restores vitality to Beijing's culture

In Beijing's Longfu Temple neighborhood, the old and the new do not appear to be competing for space. At Feiyili, a newly renovated cultural space, people browse books, explore traditional crafts and participate in cultural activities. A few steps away, a bookstore devoted to Chinese history and traditional culture has returned the quiet ritual of reading to the area, while a theater attracts audiences to immersive performances. Meanwhile, the flavors and aromas of old Beijing mingle with coffee shops, outdoor brands and night markets.

These scenes in this historical downtown neighborhood are the result of a long-term effort to preserve Beijing's distinctive character, while ensuring its heritage remains part of contemporary life.

During an inspection of the neighborhood in the capital city's Dongcheng district in February, President Xi Jinping said that the area had deep historical and cultural roots that should be inherited and carried forward. He stressed that Beijing, as an ancient capital with a history spanning thousands of years, should integrate tradition and modernity.

These remarks echoed Xi's earlier calls to preserve Beijing's historical character, while bringing it into contemporary life.

When Xi inspected a project restoring the historical Yuhe waterway and nearby courtyards in Dongcheng district in 2014, he stressed the importance of safeguarding Beijing's historical and cultural heritage, while properly balancing urban development with the protection and use of heritage.

Five years later, during a visit to Caochang Sitiao Hutong in Beijing's Qianmen area in 2019, Xi again addressed the relationship between preservation and modernization, calling for the renewal of the old city to be integrated with the protection of historical sites and the preservation of Beijing's historical context, while also improving residents' living conditions.

This approach was subsequently reflected in Beijing's policy framework. The Regulations on Preserving the Status of Beijing as a Famous Historical and Cultural City, adopted in January 2021 by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress and implemented in March that year, called for protecting the traditional character of the old city while promoting the organic renewal of historical neighborhoods and improving infrastructure, public services and living conditions.

The Beijing Urban Renewal Regulations, which came into effect in 2023, further incorporated historical and cultural protection into the city's approach to urban renewal, alongside efforts to improve living conditions, public services and urban vitality.

Balancing approach

At Longfu Temple, that balance is now visible in the way the historical neighborhood is being used. Dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the site was once known for its temple fair and bustling markets. Its fortunes declined over the years, but the area's renewal has been carefully planned to retain the hutong layout, street routes, courtyards and historical traces, while introducing new uses.

"Traditional culture is the foundation, while modernity is the vitality," said Gao Tianliang, assistant general manager of Beijing Xinlongfu Cultural Investment Co, the market-oriented operating entity behind the area's renewal.

The idea is reflected in the neighborhood's growing cultural diversity, according to Gao. Culture-related businesses now account for almost 30 percent of the area's commercial offerings, and the neighborhood received nearly 8 million visits in 2025. Daily visitor numbers repeatedly exceeded 100,000 during this year's Spring Festival holiday.

Gao said that the aim is to allow the area's centuries-old cultural heritage to become part of contemporary life.

"We want the cultural heritage accumulated over six centuries to breathe and grow naturally in today's consumption settings," he said.

That change is also visible in the way younger people engage with traditional culture. Rather than merely looking at traditional crafts, they participate in workshops and other hands-on activities before moving on to bookstores, theaters, cafes or night markets, Gao said.

The idea of keeping heritage alive extends beyond historical buildings and neighborhoods. Xi has repeatedly stressed that cultural heritage must not only be protected, but also inherited and utilized, with traditional culture keeping pace with contemporary life.

In August 2024, following the inscription of Beijing's Central Axis on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Xi called for continued efforts to protect, inherit and make use of cultural heritage, so that it could gain new vitality in the new era.

Everyday ways of life

At Shajing Hutong in Beijing's Dongcheng district, a courtyard built in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) has been transformed into the Beijing Cultural and Art Inheritance and Development Center devoted to the display, inheritance, experience, training and exchange of intangible cultural heritage.

The space brings together the dual qualities of Beijing's cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage. While the courtyard preserves the physical character of the old city, the center's programs focus on the skills, practices and ways of life passed down through generations.

The key is to bring the "spirit and form" of intangible cultural heritage together and explain it through Beijing's everyday ways of life, said Jiang Tingting, the center's director.

Visitors can experience traditional techniques, with woodblock printing, making dough figurines, tea and shadow puppetry being among popular activities, Jiang said.

Since 2025, about 220 young people from almost 20 countries have visited the center as part of a Chinese language and culture program.

Digital technology has opened up another avenue for making traditional culture accessible. Exhibitions of traditional crafts, such as cloisonne, filigree inlay and Beijing embroidery, are complemented by interactive displays including 3D and motion-sensing experiences.

Wang Jiteng, a researcher with the department of law at the Beijing Administration Institute, said that Xi's ideas provide important guidance for understanding Beijing's cultural development.

"President Xi Jinping has pointed out that Beijing's rich historical and cultural heritage is a calling card," Wang said. He said that the approach is reflected in Beijing's efforts to establish itself as the country's national cultural center under the overall framework of "one core, one city, three cultural belts and two zones".

The framework emphasizes fostering and promoting socialist core values, strengthening the protection of Beijing as a famous historical and cultural city, and protecting and developing the Grand Canal, the Great Wall and the Xishan-Yongding River cultural belts.

Wang, the researcher, said that providing "rich and high-quality cultural offerings" is central to Beijing's role as the country's cultural center.

For Jiang, the Beijing center's director, the center's role goes beyond displaying heritage. Visitors come to learn traditional skills, and local residents can volunteer to introduce these traditions to others.

"The core remains unchanged, while the way it is expressed keeps evolving," she said.