People walk in front of a huge picture of the Qianmen Street planning project at a construction site in Beijing May 21, 2007. The project aims at recapturing the appearance of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the early Republic of China (1911-49). Qianmen Street has been a commercial centre for centuries, boasting a wide range of shops selling everything from traditional medicines to fine silks, as well as tea houses and snack bars like Duyichu, which is famous for its shaomai (stuffed steamed buns).

Chinese workers work at the construction site of Qianmen Street planning project in Beijing May 15, 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2007)