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The construction of a cafe at the site of the Ming city wall raises questions and responds: houses are not cultural relics.

Published: 2026-04-06 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/06, Recently, Mr. Li, a citizen, reflected that a cafe had been built on the city wall of the Ming City Wall ruins Park, which was located in a corner house on the city wall. In this regard, Mr. Li questioned whether it is appropriate to use ancient buildings to set up cafes for for-profit activities and whether they will cause damage to cultural relics. In response to this matter, the staff of the park office of the Ming city wall ruins informed

Cafes built at the ruins of the Ming city wall

Recently, Mr. Li, a citizen, reflected that a cafe had been built on the city wall of the Ming City Wall ruins Park, which was located in a corner house on the city wall. In this regard, Mr. Li questioned whether it is appropriate to use ancient buildings to set up cafes for for-profit activities and whether they will cause damage to cultural relics. In response to this matter, the Ming City Wall ruins Park Office staff told reporters that the cafe was opened in response to tourists' suggestions and enhance the service function of the scenic spot. At present, the coffee shop business license and other relevant documents are being processed and have not yet started business. In addition, the staff also said that the corner house was built according to the original wall when the city wall was repaired in 2010, and it is not a cultural relic site.

Questions about the opening of cafes in the ancient city wall

Recently, Mr. Li, a citizen, reflected that when he was playing in the Ming Wall ruins Park, he found that a coffee shop had been set up on the city wall, and the coffee shop was opened in a corner of the city wall. Mr. Li questioned whether the Ming City Wall site is a national cultural relic and whether it is appropriate to operate a cafe for profit in the former site.

Subsequently, a reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily went to the Ming City Wall ruins Park. after walking up the city wall, there was a small house in the middle of the city wall that was consistent with the overall architectural style of the city wall, and there was a price list of various coffee drinks on the windows of the house. The small house is the coffee shop reflected by Mr. Li.

A reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily saw at the scene that the cafe was very small, with only a few tables, and there was a young man packing up without guests. The young man said he was only an employee of the store and the owner had not come back after the new year. At present, the cafe is not open yet, and many drinks in the shop are out of stock. It will take some time for the boss to come to know the details of the opening.

At the same time, the young man also said that because the management of the park is more strict, the cafe is subject to more restrictions, such as business hours, the cafe will not be open after the park is closed at night. However, the reason why I chose to open a coffee shop here is that the shopkeeper likes a quieter place, and the environment of the Ming City Wall ruins Park is relatively quiet.

Management: set up cafes for the convenience of the people

The reporter went to the Ming City Wall ruins Park Office, the office staff told the reporter that the reason for opening this cafe is to respond to the suggestions of tourists and improve the supporting facilities of the scenic spot. At present, the coffee shop business license and other related formalities are being processed, and the coffee shop has not yet started business.

The staff told reporters that tourists had been suggesting that there was no place for tourists to rest in the scenic area, and that "there was no place to drink water or sit down." At the same time, the Ming City Wall ruins Park is a national 4A scenic spot, which also has certain requirements for the service function of the scenic area. On the one hand, the coffee shop is to respond to the suggestions of tourists and provide convenient services for tourists, on the other hand, it is also to improve the supporting facilities of the scenic spot and enhance the service function of the scenic spot.

At the same time, the staff also said that the coffee shop's business license and other documents are being processed and have not yet started business. Now, coffee shop staff organize things inside every day, but the scenic area is not allowed to operate until the formalities are complete. In addition, the staff also told reporters that if tourists find that the cafe is operating, they can report to the scenic spot with a small ticket of their own consumption, and the scenic spot will deal with it in accordance with the regulations.

The redevelopment of the corner house system is not a heritage site.

In response to the question of whether opening cafes on cultural relics and monuments is harmful to cultural relics, scenic area staff said that the opening of cafes requires a series of licenses and approval from relevant departments. cafes can only be opened and operated in accordance with the relevant regulations. In addition, the corner house was built according to the original wall when the wall was repaired in 2010, and it is not an ancient relic.

The staff of the scenic spot told reporters that under the premise of protecting cultural relics, the scenic spot can be reasonably developed and utilized in the scenic area. At the same time, the establishment of cafes requires a series of licenses, all of which are subject to the examination and approval of relevant departments, including cafes, etc., therefore, under the circumstances of procedural compliance and complete licenses, the cafes on the city wall are legal and compliant.

In addition, the staff also said that the corner house where the cafe is located is not the former site of cultural relics. In 2010, when the city wall was repaired and restored, the corner house was newly built according to the original wall. "We are not talking about opening a coffee shop in an ancient building hundreds of years ago." Therefore, the staff said that the opening of the cafe did not involve the destruction of cultural relics.

Source: Beiqing net-Beijing Youth Daily (Beijing)

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