News
China enhances protection over blocks of historical, cultural value
By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily
To protect and keep alive historical and cultural heritage in the course of planning and construction in urban and rural areas is a mission raised in China’s 2022 government work report.
As old urban buildings manifest historical and cultural characteristics of a city, many places in China are currently searching for ways to properly coordinate protection and development for better inheritance of their history and culture.
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China had identified over 1,200 blocks of historical and cultural value and around 57,500 historical architectures as the end of the last year. The two figures respectively increased twofold and fivefold from 2016.
Chongyong Street is a 5.2-kilometer street that links seven historical blocks in Beijing. It starts from the Temple of Earth in the northern part of central Beijing, where the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties would attend the annual summer solstice ritual of offerings to the heaven, and extends all the way down to the Temple of Heaven in the other side of the city, which is a complex visited by the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest.
Buildings along the northern section of the street are mostly archaic Chinese quadrangles, Chinese-style storefronts, as well as houses with archways and carved tiles, and they gradually turn into simple and exquisite modern architectures as the street stretches southward.
A couple of years ago, the street was in a complete disorder as it was bothered by roadside booths and unapproved structures. Besides, public facilities along the street were also scattered.
“Now the street is much wider and tidier, and the old architectures here have been renovated. It wakes up my childhood memories,” said a local resident.
The improved environment was made through years of efforts by Xu Meng, a planner with the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, and dozens of his colleagues.
“We must respect the authenticity and integrity of historical and cultural heritage and maintain its characters in order to protect and inherit it,” said Xu.
He and his colleagues had collected a wide range of historical materials, and even found a set of photos of Beijing that were taken more than six decades ago. From the photos, they discovered that the street had diverse cultural elements, and was antique in the north and modern in the south.
“However, many of the archaic buildings along the street had been covered by billboards and unapproved structures after years of development,” Xu told People’s Daily.
Xu and his colleagues firstly dismantled door cases and outer-wall tiles of the buildings to restore the original look of them. They also removed over 150 poles on the street and camouflaged panel boxes, which both made the street good-looking and saved public space.
Xu and his colleagues renovated the old buildings on Yonghegong Street to return a traditional image to them. The renovation took the planners nearly two years, during which they recycled 550,000 old bricks and 130,000 old tiles. Over 80 percent of the materials used in the renovation were recycled.
The renovation, aiming to restore the historical characters of the buildings, adopted no “one-size-fits-all” approach. A total of 48 patterns for windows and doors were provided for local residents and merchants to choose.
“They invited a calligrapher to design a signboard for us that well presents the local features of Beijing. Many customers told us that our shop has become cleaner and more characteristic,” said Ye Jingrui, who owns a 30-year-old traditional Beijing street food store.
“The local people are very proud of their culture, and they feel obligated to carry it on. To tidy up the place doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to make everything the same. Offering a chance for equal communication and options will better mobilize the people,” Xu said.
In the recent decade, many historic streets and alleys across China have been fostering new businesses for revitalization.
For instance, a historical block in Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province encourages merchants to run cafeterias, 24-hour reading rooms, and other small service facilities to make the community more energetic. Another historical block in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong province has introduced a series of new business forms that are expected to create 1,300 local jobs.
Through reasonable utilization, enriching business forms and functional activation, historical blocks and modern lifestyles are fusing with each other.
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Raheem Tunji Olawuyi Ajuloopin, has strongly condemned the recent attack in Idofin Odo-Ashe, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, describing it as a cowardly act that seeks to disrupt the peace and stability of the community.
Hon. Ajuloopin, in a statement personally signed by him, expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and sympathised with the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by the dastardly attack, emphasising that acts of violence have no place in a civilised society, and therefore urged security agencies to intensify efforts in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
While commending the swift response of both the federal and Kwara State governments, as well as the security agencies and local vigilante groups, the lawmaker reiterated that the fight against insecurity requires collective responsibility, calling on traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security operatives by providing timely and credible information.
“Security is everyone’s business. We cannot afford to leave the safety of our communities solely to government agencies. Every citizen must be actively involved in safeguarding our environment and ensuring that peace prevails,” Hon. Ajuloopin admonished.
He reaffirmed his commitment to continued collaboration with relevant authorities to ensure that lasting peace in all parts of Kwara South and beyond.
Hon. Ajuloopin also appealed for calm, assuring that both the federal and state governments are working tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity and prevent future occurrences.
End
From Hassan Taiye
Governor Umar Namadi is currently in Cairo,Arab Republic of Egypt, attending the Third High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Rice Self-Sufficiency, holding from October 7th to 9th, 2025, in Cairo and Sakha.
The meeting, themed “Towards Rice-Based Agri-Food Systems Transformation and Delivering on Rice Self-Sufficiency through Peer-to-Peer Learning: The Case of the Arab Republic of Egypt,” is jointly organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, AfricaRice, the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and other key continental partners.
This high-level gathering brings together African Ministers of Agriculture, State Governors, and agricultural leaders to share practical experiences on achieving rice self-sufficiency and agricultural transformation.
The event will showcase Egypt’s remarkable progress in achieving rice self-sufficiency despite its limited water and land resources, offering valuable lessons adaptable to other African contexts.
Namadi is participating alongside top policymakers, agricultural experts, and private sector players from across Africa to discuss innovations, policy reforms, and strategic investments aimed at strengthening food security and transforming the agricultural sector on the continent.
Over the three-day programme, delegates will engage in high-level ministerial sessions, technical discussions, and a field visit to Egypt’s renowned Rice Research and Training Centre (RRTC) in Sakha.
During the visit, participants will interact directly with Egyptian scientists and farmers to learn about the country’s advancements in high-yield rice varieties, efficient irrigation systems, and modern post-harvest technologies.
Jigawa State’s participation in this important forum underscores the state’s commitment to agricultural transformation, food self-sufficiency, and consolidating Jigawa’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading hubs for rice production and agribusiness development.
The meeting is expected to conclude with a Ministerial Declaration setting a continental roadmap for achieving rice self-sufficiency through collaborative research, policy coordination, and targeted investment across the rice value chain.
Governor Namadi is accompanied by senior officials from the Jigawa State Ministry of Agriculture and related agencies.
By: Fabian Apechihin
Sociopolitical activist Aisha Yesufu has accused Nigerian political leaders of perpetuating what she described as a “political genocide” against Christians in Northern Nigeria.
Yesufu made the remark on Tuesday in response to American comedian and TV host Bill Maher, who recently alleged that Nigerian Christians are facing coordinated attacks.
Maher, speaking on his HBO show, said, “I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009 and burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram.”
Reacting via her X handle, Yesufu criticized what she called hypocrisy among Nigerian politicians who express concern over Christian persecution yet supported the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket during the 2023 elections.
“You are shouting that Northern Christians are being persecuted, but you championed a Muslim-Muslim ticket! Their Christianity was not Christian enough for you during the 2023 election,” she wrote.
She concluded by calling for greater attention to what she termed the “political genocide” against Northern Christians, urging consistency in both words and actions when addressing religious and political marginalization in Nigeria.
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