Zhang Zugang, president of the Architectural Society of China, mourned the disappearance of some historical buildings in Beijing and expressed concern at some new high-rises in the ancient capital city.

During the past two decades of rapid economic growth, many problems have arisen in China's urban expansion and renovation. A large number of high-cost and tasteless buildings have punctuated the skylines of many cities. "But new cities look no different. The original ancient complex has been destroyed. Traditional architectural styles are ignored," Zhang said.

He said the authorities should learn from other countries to avoid repeating their mistakes. He urged greater attention to urban planning, protecting the city's cultural traditions, including the colour of the buildings.

"We must not allow the developers to do what they want, making every city full of gaudy edifices," Zhang said.

He blamed some high-rises in recent years for spoiling the natural scenery near the Imperial Palace and Shichahai Lake area in Beijing. "Paris keeps its original architectural look intact, while the style of the ancient Beijing has been destroyed in many areas in massive renovation projects," Zhang said.

In the past decades, Zhang had been to many countries such as Greece, Italy, Egypt and India. Deeply impressed by Europe's magnificent post-Renaissance style, he published an album featuring world renowned ancient cities, trying to offer some ideas to inspire Chinese architects.

Zhang said: "As an architect, I felt a little bit ashamed of our buildings. It is better for the visitors to come to Beijing by plane instead of train, since the buildings along the railway, especially those surrounding the West Railway Station, are eyesores, which are not suited to a country boasting a time-honoured civilization."

Wu Guanzhong, a world-renowned Chinese artist who believes that architecture takes precedence over painting, said: "A city's appearance is reflected by its architecture."

Wu pointed out that it is a pressing issue to address the problem of architecture. More importance should be attached to it as so many buildings are to be built in China in the near future.

"We can throw a poor painting into the wastebasket. But if we fail to put up a building well, we have to allow it to stand for decades or even more. You can like it or hate it, but you cannot turn a blind eye to it," he said.

Wu lashed out at the architecture of the West Railway Station in Beijing. He said that the traditional tower on the top of the station is disproportionate with the modern body.

At the seminar, artists and architects expressed negative views on imitation of Chinese ancient architecture and Western-style architecture. Experts pointed out that towns and cities nationwide resembles the same: An area in Beijing looks like a county in Hebei Province; in rural areas, hotels spring up, with the country style tapering off; in Lijiang, an ancient town in Yunnan Province, buildings like the Hilton Hotel were erected.

The poor architecture not only constitutes an artistic problem, but also does harm to our health.

Wu Liangyong, professor from Tsinghua University, had a shortage of breath due to poor ventilation when he was hospitalized in Beijing Union Hospital a few years ago.

He said: "The government should combine efforts on air pollution with those on 'architectural pollution.'

"Architecture is useless without a well-planned city.

"What we want is an agreeable Beijing densely covered with trees and flowers."

Zhang Kaiji, a well-known architect, sent a letter to the central government, calling for a stop to massive demolition and building projects in Beijing. Some unnecessary hotels and office complex projects should be shelved. "Otherwise, the capital city will see no valuable ancient architecture," the letter reads, "The benefit is short-lived while the loss extends."

In the meantime, the architects also looked forward to the 1st Architectural Biennial Beijing, which will be held from September 20 to October 6 next year.

The biennial, composed of a series of exhibitions, conferences and forums, aims to enhance the quality of architectural culture and speed up the modernization of China's building industry.

Xu Teng, general designer of Hong Kong's new airport, said that the 2008 Olympic Games will provide China with an opportunity to improve their architecture in the future.