A resident walks in the alley at Yongdingmen Dongli, which is slated for demolition, in Dongcheng district on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: Li Hao/GT



Dongcheng district government announced Tuesday a plan to move 3,700 households from round the Temple of Heaven in order to reveal the walls of the complex and improve the view.

Some local residents told the Global Times Tuesday they do wish to move to a better environment while others are reluctant to move from an area in which they have lived for decades. The government says no new buildings will be constructed in place of those demolished.

Niu Qingshan, the district chief of Dongcheng district, said in a report Tuesday that it will commence the transfer of 3,700 households from 57 residential buildings, which were described as "shabby brick buildings" in the report.

According to the report, residents will move to Hongshan Jiayuan, a complex around 5 kilometers from the Temple of Heaven between the southeast Second and Third Ring Roads, however, several residents contradicted this information.

A local resident, surnamed Ma, said he is worried that he will be assigned a low-cost government-subsidized house in a remote place, as he has heard they will be transferred outside the Fifth Ring Road, although he is happy to move to a better apartment.

"It will be inconvenient if the houses are far away, like outside the Fifth Ring Road," said Ma. 

Ma said his parents do not want to move because they are accustomed to life there. Dou Xueyu, a 78-year-old women who has lived there for more than 40 years shares the same feeling.

"It's good to live here. I'll miss this place and I'm unwilling to move. I think it will take one or two years for the transfer program. Maybe by that time I'll be dead already," said Ma.

Zhang Ping'an, who has lived in a rented house at the south wall of the temple for more than 10 years, admitted that the move will be hard for him.

"I pay around 1,000 yuan ($160) rent annually, which is cheap for inside the Second Ring Road," said Zhang.

"If I have to move out with my family, we may end up living in a basement somewhere," he said.

Residents will also move from Tiantandongli complex, to the east of the temple, described as dangerous and old.

Half the residents have already left, but others still stay on despite urging from the government. Ning Dong, who lives with six relatives, complained they have no running water.

"I called the government for help but they didn't solve it," said Ning, adding that he is more than pleased to move out but not if the house provided by the government is too far away.

"Officials said only housing in Majuqiao, in Tongzhou district is available, far away from the city center," said Ma.