The government has carried out an inspection of more than 3,000siheyuan in the old district of the city since the beginning of last year and selected an initial 539 sites for protection, said Mei Ninghua, director of the municipal government's cultural relics bureau.

"The other 2,000 or so houses will not be pulled down," Mei said.

The siheyuan-style home typically comprises a square courtyard surrounded by single-storey buildings. Main rooms usually face south. Trees and flowers are planted in the courtyard.

Beijing residents lived in such houses for about 800 years before apartment buildings were introduced, but the old siheyuan became overcrowded with the growing population.

Many siheyuan have been pulled down in a drive to reshape the city and remove dilapidated houses over the past ten years.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2002)