Chinatown in Beijing

One of the best examples of China's disregard for historic preservation can be found at Qianmen. Built in 1419, the gate sits at the southernmost end of Tiananmen Square. Its name means "front door" as Qianmen literally was the entrance to ancient Beijing. Qianmen still stands today after having been re-buffed in bright technicolor paint for the Olympics. More dramatic, however, is the old hutong neighborhood that stood besides it. Hundreds of traditional courtyard houses were demolished, countless families displaced to make way for a pedestrian-only shopping street designed to resemble Beijing in the 1920s. The Grove meets Vegas meets Epcot Center with a Qing Dynasty twist. Complete with planters full of plastic flowers and other tacky design elements. Man, why do los Chinos gotta bum me out like that?