In an endlessly expanding and developing Beijing, entire buildings and neighborhoods are being destroyed, rebuilt and unveiled literally overnight.

Such is the nature of this bustling capital that local and online communities are always buzzing with rumors and updates about what is coming next and when.

Under constant scrutiny is Beijing's Nanluoguxiang, one of the city's most prized hutong areas and treasured pieces of the capital's cultural heritage.

Andrea Hunt has more.

 One of Beijing's seven-hundred-year old lanes, Nanluoguxiang, is again abuzz with news that in addition to a new subway stops in the neighborhood in two years' time, extra space will be cleared during the next few months to make room for a parking lot.

The area has become quite popular with both domestic and foreign tourists alike during the last few years. But some Beijing business owners and residents remain concerned about the continued commercialization of the street.

Mr. Chuan, a Nanluoguxiang resident, welcomes the news of the car park because he believes it will bring more business to the small CD and DVD shop he opened ten years ago. Chuan believes the renovated street has improved the entire area's appearance.

" The living conditions have changed a lot with the development of Nanluoguxiang and the hutongs. It has brought more tourism, improved facilities and public toilets. "

Mr. Chuan says if he has to relocate in the future, he won't mind as long as he receives appropriate compensation from the urban planners.

Nanluoguxiang is one of Beijing's revered hutong areas that has been renovated the last few years to promote tourism. While many welcome the area's "face lift," some believe that commercializing the area will have consequences. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Removing original buildings doesn't come without a price. Cultural preservationists caution that the neighborhood's further commercial development could cause an end result like Qianmen. Revered by tourists, the street South of Tiananmen Square has been criticized by some for its western coffee shops, fast food restaurants and designer stores.

Ed Hung, the American cofounder of local store NLGX, says while the infrastructure of the Nanluoguxiang area has notably improved, he believes that preserving the hutongs is important. But unlike Qianmen, Nanluoguxiang's long alley still retains authentic elements of its original self.

" In terms of the area turning into a Qianmen where it kind of feels like a Disneyland, like a made-up area, I think the part that keeps Nanluoguxiang still real in terms of cultural significance is the level of authenticity. The old people, the lao bai xing, and their families, a lot of them still live in the neighborhood. "

Long-time Chinese residents don't seem as concerned about the ongoing development of the Nanluoguxiang area, even though some of them must move house so urban planners can reconstruct new buildings.

Long-time resident Mr. Li has lived in the Nanluoguxiang hutongs for many years. He says life here has become more of a habit then a necessity.

" If the government needed my place, I could move, but I'd rather not since I'm old and used to the hospital that's around here. I don't want to be away from the things I need in this neighborhood like medical services. "