Old hutong area to debut in Venice

Dashilar, one of the oldest hutong areas in Beijing, will be showcased at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, one of the world's most important architectural exhibitions, Xinhua reported. During the event, Dashilar, a famous commercial street with a history of more than 800 years, will be highlighted in the Chinese City Pavilion launched by Beijing Design Week and DONTSTOP, an Italian architectural design company. The Dashilar project, the capital city's debut in the Chinese City Pavilion, will demonstrate the city's urban development and changes. The theme of the project is "Pass Through Beijing." "A number of well-established designers have been invited to integrate their creative projects into the renovation of the old hutong to enhance its vigor and vitality," Wang Zhizhong, vice director of the Beijing Dashilar-Liulichang Construction Headquarters, said. Wang noted, "We hope that our experience will inspire the construction of other cities in the new era." The biennale will be held from June 7 to November 23.