Of all the sorry ass excuses one hears for bricking up hutong businesses, restoring the historic character of Beijing’s inner city neighborhoods is the most ludicrous. Many of these lanes were once thriving commercial centers with market stalls, street vendors, and stores. Moreover, if the government is serious about preserving the historic character of these spaces why not take the obvious step of making them pedestrian-only, or at the very least ban motorized vehicles? How about simply making them one-way?