The historical districts of Qianmen and Dashilar portray the imperial era and heritage in the city center, with its famous and mostly refurbished hutong. At the same time, these spaces illustrate contemporary issues of dispossession and exclusion because of these renovation and modernization processes, leading to the expulsion of populations that cannot afford to live in the city center anymore.

Despite their central role in the Summer Olympics of 2008, such sites won’t welcome any Olympic infrastructure in 2022. Yet, their renovation plays a role in the overall strategy for Beijing’s development, as a showcase of the modern and global metropolis it is intended to be.