History and Heritage Threatened by Chinese Overdevelopment

"Shan said that many Chinese cities are heading in the wrong direction by massively demolishing architectural gems even as urbanization is causing development problems in urban and rural areas alike.

Official figures underscore Shan's assertion. The most recent data issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development indicates that China has built 2 billion square meters of new houses every year -- consuming 40 percent of the world's building materials."

That fast pace of growth is also destroying many of the historic sites and buildings within its cities, which is causing concerns to historians and preservationists.