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| Local life still seems to go on as usual despite the proposed demolitions as men play Chinese checkers in front of the Drum Tower. Photo: Li Hao/GT |
Most of the residents who spoke with Metro Beijing seemed to think moving out could potentially improve their living conditions from their currently cramped quarters. The problem keeping them from going forward with the move is that the compensation plan offered by the local government does not offer them affordable housing.
The current compensation package offers 44,361 yuan per square meter. However, given the fact that a lot of households are around 10 to 15 square meters, the money will not be enough for them to afford Shaoyaoju's 60-meters or more apartments with the compensation money.
"No one wants to be the holdout. As long as the compensation is appropriate, most would like to move out for better living conditions," said a resident in her 70s surnamed Lü. Her house in Tanggong Hutong is among the second batch of courtyards scheduled to be torn down.
Lü said she was approached by the district committee in November before the razing began. But after that, no one contacted her again or asked her to move out in the near future.
"I don't think the local government had a fixed timetable for the demolition project from the very beginning," said He Shuzhong, founder of Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center. He, an activist devoted to preserving historic Beijing, has been visiting the Gulou area everyday since the plans for clearing out the area were announced.
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