Traditional hutong style to be restored

Beijing will restore 1,500 hutong - narrow alleyways - to their traditional style over the next four years, the city management commission announced on Wednesday.

Luo Hongyi, head of the city government's environmental construction planning division, said illegal stores built in hutong inside the Second Ring Road will be removed, as unapproved constructions have had a negative influence on the city's traditional style.

"We aim to restore the traditional feel of hutong by 2020," he said.