Model gives glimpse of old Beijing

The sand table model, showing old Beijing's appearance 64 years ago, is being restored for display in the Beijing Urban Construction Archives Museum. Sun Yue / for China Daily

Restored miniature shows clusters of courtyards surrounding Forbidden City.

Some people can still remember what Beijing looked like 60 years ago with its meandering streets and courtyard communities. But for most residents the city is a bustling, modern metropolis.

Beijing is a byword for development and many of the older structures have made way for cement and steel structures. But a tantalizing glimpse of what the city looked like is about to come into full public view.

A model on a sand table, made 64 years ago, replicating the city's landscape in 1949, will provide a bird's eye view after it is fully restored later in September.

The model, in the Beijing Urban Construction Archives Museum, covers 75 square meters and has 94 parts.

"The restoration is the most thorough since city surveyors finished the model in 1953," said Jiang Rong, a spokeswoman of the Beijing Urban Construction Archives Museum.

Jiang said the model was made from 1950 to 1953, with traditional skills to build the miniature replica.

The model was built to a scale of 1:1,000, and vividly shows the Old Town, with clusters of courtyard homes with the Forbidden City in central place.

Jiang said that in 1949, the Beijing government decided to arrange a survey of its geographical layout. The model provided a quick reference point and visual context.

In 1990, to preserve it, the museum placed it in a special room.

Four restorers have dedicated themselves to giving a valued glimpse of history.