Artist village to be transformed

Beijing's most famous and largest artist community will be developed into a colossal cultural and creative industry base, the municipal government said.

However, some artist residents of Songzhuang township, which is synonymous with Chinese avant-garde, fear rents will increase as Tongzhou district becomes more accessible to downtown Beijing.

The Beijing municipal commission of urban planning unveiled a new transport plan on its website on Tuesday, including the construction of two expressways which will link the nearby Sixth Ring Road and the Beijing-Harbin Expressway. It plans to build several major roads in the area.