The municipal government created a historical buildings protection committee, an expert advisory panel and a company charged with carrying out renovation projects. Chinese engineers working on the renovation projects cooperated with Italian professional institutions and historical buildings protection experts to study the technical problems they found.

In August 2006, the renovation project on Jingyuan Garden was launched. In July 2007, when it was completed, the residence had been transformed into a museum about the last emperor's life.

The renovation project maintained the buildings' original style. New technologies and materials, such as carbon fiber, have been introduced to reinforce the old buildings. Dents in the building structure were refilled with similar materials. Accessories such as doors, windows, tiles, fireplaces and wall lamps were carefully renovated.

According to the municipal regulation on safeguarding Tianjin's historical buildings, protection is divided into three ranks according to the building's value: ordinary, key and special protection status. Jingyuan Garden enjoys the highest level of protection. The city has identified 746 historical buildings mainly located in six areas that are entitled to protection.

Buildings entitled to protection must be at least 50 years old and display characteristic architectural styles, structures or construction methods; reflect local history, customs or traditions; be of a foreign design; be works by a famous architect; be a former residence of a celebrity; or be a place where an important event occurred.

The municipal government includes the protection of historical buildings in the city's overall plan, which identifies several areas for this purpose. In these areas, old buildings cannot be demolished and existing modern buildings that fail to harmonize with old buildings should be transformed or demolished within a given deadline. Construction and expansion of new buildings should be harmonious with existing architecture in height, size and color.

Wu Yanlong, an official with Tianjin's historical buildings protection committee, said his agency has hired a group of inspectors to regularly check on buildings under protection and take photos of these buildings from all angles. "Our inspection frequency is once a month on ordinary historical buildings and twice or three times a month on key areas and buildings," said Wu.

A database of historical buildings' locations, construction areas, preservation states, historical backgrounds and photos has been created in Tianjin, along with archives of blueprints and recommended renovation technologies for every building. These archives are the first in China.

Tourism development

An area in the heart of Tianjin known as Five Avenues or Jiefang North Street is reputed for its diverse architectural styles. The five east-west avenues named after Chinese cities are located at the southern part of downtown Tianjin.

"Walking down these five avenues is like visiting a museum of world architectural history. Here you can find buildings featuring Greek, Roman, Renaissance, Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, British, French, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Jewish and Indian styles. It is like a never-ending parade," said Jin Pengyu, an expert on Tianjin's historical buildings.

On May 1, a tourist alley in the Five Avenues area officially opened. Old buildings along this alley have been renovated, some of which accommodate stylish bars, hotels and cafes. Wu said the new destination marks the beginning of Tianjin's plan to develop historical buildings into tourism spots so that city residents and tourists can enjoy the results of the protection campaign.

"Development and the protection of historical buildings do not necessarily contradict each other. If the buildings can be properly developed, protection efforts can benefit too," said Pan Tao, Manager of Shanghai-based urban planning consultants Urbanmatica. The company has been commissioned to run publicity campaigns for the Five Avenues area.

Some residents are concerned about the fate of buildings in this area that are not listed as historical buildings. Scholars also worry that their demolition for tourism development projects would destroy the aesthetic harmony of the area as a whole. "The preservation of the atmosphere in this area relies upon protection of all buildings in the blocks," said Chen Zhihua, a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Architecture.