Another group of 119 traditional courtyards has been put on the Beijing municipal government's protection list, as part of the capital's efforts to preserve the centuries-old Chinese architecture.

So far, 658 courtyards in the city have been labeled as protected, said Kong Fanzhi, deputy director of the municipal bureau of cultural relics, on Wednesday.

The courtyards, popularly known as "siheyuan" or four-sided enclosed yards, are home to many Beijing residents. They consist of a compound with rooms around a square courtyard.

Featuring typical classical roofs, decorated corridors and old pomegranate trees, they often impress visitors with their grace, tranquillity and elegance and are regarded as an important part of traditional Beijing culture besides the royal palaces, temples and resorts.

However, most existing "siheyuan" were built in the early 1900s. The rising population and lack of maintenance funding makes them uncomfortable.

Since March 2002, the municipal government has been carrying out large-scale research on the traditional courtyards in the inner city. After an investigation over 1,000 "siheyuan", a protection list was worked out. The first group were given protection labels in July 2003 and the second in September.

"Saving Beijing's 'siheyuan' is to save Beijing's ancient appearance and traditional culture," said Kong.

The government is adjusting policies and making regulations to legalize "siheyuan" protection. Regulations are to be strengthened on height, style and colour of buildings in the inner city to maintain new Beijing's overall ancient appearance.

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