Renovating Beijing’s Historic Homes

"Chinese believe that in a siheyuan you can feel the spirit of the earth because unlike in a high-rise apartment, you step on it every day."

These historic homes in Beijing appeal to me but scores of these buildings have been demolished to make room for highrises. Many owners/restorers of these old houses are wealthy foreigners which raises all the sorts of issues around gentrification but they are perhaps the only hope for the preservation of Beijing's historic architecture.