But Chen was reluctant to leave. "Compared with bungalows, I don't like living in apartment buildings where neighbors kept distance from each other," she said, adding that in a courtyard, all households were like a big family, in spite of disputes sometimes.

Skyrocketing house price is another concern. "The price of apartments in this area is about 20,000 yuan per square meter," she said, "without so much money, I would have to move to the outskirts."

Chen was informed of the refurbishing by government last September. "They told me that government would foot the bill, and I could hardly believe it at first."

The retired accountant, together with her parents and husband, moved to live with her neighbor whose house is to be refurbished later, on September 26, while their 26-year-old son rented a house.

Two and a half months later, they moved back, and startled to see the 80-square-meter house rebuilt with the original bricks, the floor repaved, the meters separated and, following her request, workers built a toilet there so that she would not have to use the stinking public toilet any more.

In 2007, the Beijing Municipal Government earmarked one billion yuan for refurbishing and upgrading ancient courtyards in the downtown Dongcheng

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