A blue plaque was nailed up over the gate of a traditional courtyard home in Xicheng District in Beijing yesterday, to help protect the siheyuan from bulldozers.

The courtyard, located at No 9 Dongtiejiang Lane, became one of 339 set aside for preservation in downtown Beijing, as part of a planned second round of heritage listings.

They will be listed as valuable, protected relics before October 1, according to the Beijing Administrative Bureau of Cultural Relics.

On July 16, the No 39 courtyard in Dongsi 12th Lane became the first siheyuan to be protected by the Beijing municipal government. Its listing was regarded as a major step forward for the city in the race between bulldozers and conservationists.

"Courtyards with the blue plaques are not allowed to be demolished or damaged in rampant renovation projects," said Zhang Mao, vice-mayor of Beijing, who nailed in plaques at several courtyards in Xicheng District yesterday.

Yesterday's announcement brings the total number of protected siheyuan in Beijing to 539. The first batch of 200 traditional courtyards was heritage-listed in the past two months, although hundreds of others are still unprotected in Beijing.

The city's courtyards, first built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when Beijing became the national capital, have long been considered the epitome of China's traditional urban residential architecture.

"The design, layout and material of the old houses here reflect the ancient philosophy of harmony between humans and heaven," said Liu Xiaoshi, a leading architect active in the preservation of old Beijing.

However, many valuable siheyuan have disappeared or face demolition due to massive construction projects. The Beijing municipal government has become aware of the need to guard the city's ancient treasures.

Zhang said identifying the 539 siheyuan with plaques was the first step towards saving them.

(China Daily September 24, 2003)