Having gone through the convulsions of revolution and a violent and destructive denouncement of the old order, China now seems to be hastily doing what it can to protect and preserve some of its historical identity. Governmental opinion on the best way to protect and preserve for the future seems to be: rebuild or renovate until 'as new'.
Aside from the cultural icons, Beijing is architecturally known for its hutongs (alleys) and there are big efforts to make the central and famous hutongs as pretty as possible.
A couple of typical hutongs:
A couple of hutongs in Qianmen area getting their facelift:
Looking north up the new, late-but-nearly-complete, old Qianmen district:
I'm sure Walt Disney would be proud.
