By early 2026, 641 households in the Fayuan Temple Historic District, where Lanman Hutong sits, had opted for relocation, making room for 105 new businesses. Cafés, bookshops, restaurants and cultural studios have since taken root in centuries-old courtyards.

　　Zheng, who chose to stay, admitted that the newcomers have shifted his outlook. "At first, I thought cafés were only for young people. Now I believe we older residents should also embrace these changes," Zheng said.

　　He is also cheered by the growing number of young faces in the alley. "That's exactly the kind of change we want to see," he said.

　　Among them is 23-year-old Hu Feixiong, a graduate student at Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture.

　　Earlier this year, Hu and his teammates moved into a youth entrepreneurship space in Lanman Hutong, where they began offering architectural cultural products, including layered refrigerator magnets inspired by Beijing's landmarks, directly to customers in a real neighbourhood.

　　"We only pay basic utility costs, yet we can meet customers, test our products and refine our ideas in a living community," Hu said. Rather than remaining on design sketches or screens, their creations now reach visitors face-to-face in one of Beijing's oldest quarters.

　　In this way, the city's architectural heritage endures not just through preservation but through the ingenuity of a new generation.

　　"It is the interaction among residents, businesses and the community that keeps a neighborhood alive," said Wang Mingjun, an official with the Xicheng District Urban Management Committee. "Urban renewal is not a one-off project. It is an ongoing process in which everyone has a role to play."

　　Official data show that since 2017, more than 5,200 backstreets and alleys in Beijing have undergone environmental upgrades, with resident satisfaction steadily rising.