The draft plan was issued in late February by the urban planning commission and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics.

Covering an area of some 6.8 square kilometers, the former royal city of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) stretches from the Chang'an Avenue in the South to the Ping'an Avenue in the North.

The plan aims to protect the former imperial city as a whole, while the Forbidden City is still emphasized as a key point for protection.

The plan ordered the immediate cessation of building structures of over three floors and those not conforming with the imperial style.

The roof of buildings in the region is required to be a greenish lime color. Furthermore, glazed tiles should not be overused.

But the plan did not give any details on what buildings could use glazed tiles. This kind of architectural material was once widely used in some pseudo-classic buildings in the capital city.

Large-scale public buildings including department stores, office buildings, medical organizations and schools are forbidden to be built in the area of imperial city.

Traditional quadrangles in the imperial city will strictly stick to their former appearance. The height of the renovated buildings is not allowed to exceed that of the original ones.

Meanwhile, the authorities will accelerate the clearing out of illegal buildings in the area of former imperial city in the near future.

(China Daily April 25, 2003)