The plan, just released on Thursday, is aimed to protect the former imperial city as a whole, while the imposing Forbidden City is still emphasized as a key point for protection.

The plan ordered the immediate cessation of building structures of over three floors and those not conforming with the imperial style.

The roof of building structures in the region is required to be greenish lime color, and glazed tiles should not be overused, which was once widely used in some pseudo-classic buildings in the city.

Large-scale public buildings including department stores, office buildings and schools are not allowed to be built in the region, according to the plan.

Traditional quadrangles in the imperial city will strictly stick to their former appearance. The height of the renovated buildings is not allowed to exceed that of the original ones.

Meanwhile, the relevant authorities will accelerate the clearing out of illegal buildings in the area of former imperial city in the near future.

With an area of some 6.8 sq km, the former royal city of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) stretches from the Chang'an Avenue in the south to the Ping'an Avenue in the north.

(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2003)