The home of author and designer Liang Sicheng has been demolished in Beijing leaving conservationists fuming. The courtyard residence where Sicheng lived with his architect wife Lin Huiyin from 1930 until 1937 has been the subject of much debate over the past few years on account of its cultural significance, campaigners suggesting that the destruction of the property would open the floodgates for numerous other historical buildings.

Sicheng is best known for penning The History of Chinese Architecture and his efforts to preserve China’s traditional architecture, further amplifying the significance of this recent demolition. Activist Zeng Yizhi told China Daily: “Liang and Lin made such a great contribution to the protection of Chinese ancient buildings. If their home can be torn down then developers can do the same thing to hundreds of other ancient houses in the country.” It is thought that the demolishers used the Chinese New Year celebrations to carry out their work, hoping to attract as little attention as possible.