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Tom Luckock's beautifully restored Qing Dynasty courtyard home instantly betrays his passion for siheyuan, the disappearing style of traditional housing symbolic of Beijing's heritage.

 

"My original interest was sparked because the first time I came to China in 1999, when I was a student here, I actually stayed in (a courtyard) and I really loved it. It really left a deep impression," the 32-year-old says.

 

Luckock is not alone. The recently reported sale of a run-down courtyard near Houhai for US$14.2million -- twice the value of luxury apartments in the area -- demonstrated a spike in demand since restrictions on foreign ownership of siheyuan were relaxed in 2004.

 

Luckock, an Australian lawyer, believes the rush of interest is a positive development for the preservation of this ancient architectural form, which has been largely demolished to make way for new construction. Just 3,000 siheyuan remain in Beijing.

 

"I think these courtyards are special. There is nothing like them anywhere else in the world, even outside of Beijing," he says.

 

"I think having foreigners buy them has a number of advantages. First, there is a lot more international awareness of how beautiful they are. Secondly, there needs to be a fair bit of capital flowing in, because a lot of these places are very rundown, and the best way is from the owners.

 

"If foreigners can (restore them) tastefully and using original materials, I think that is really, really great. In other countries, they look back and say, 'we really wasted an opportunity.'

 

"But China still has a bit of an opportunity not to make these mistakes."

 

Still, Luckock knows his hutong dream is not immune to the wrecking ball, despite new laws to protect remaining courtyards. "It is still a risk. This is China. It is changing very, very quickly, but that is part of the excitement of China," he says.

 

Luckock is now immersed in the renovation of a second, 150-year-old courtyard at 43 Dongsi 12th Street, to be opened as a bed-and-breakfast. The siheyuan emerged as a residential genre in the capital in the early Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

 

(China Daily May 25, 2007)