Many old buildings are protected by law because they are part of a nations history. However, some people think they should be knocked down to make way for new ones because people need houses and offices. How important is it to maintain old buildings? Should history stand in the way of progress?Old buildings sometimes conflict with economic advancement. Appealing as it is for business people, the idea of tearing down old architectures to clear the way for real-estate development is unsound in many ways.The primary reason is that old buildings are culturally valuable to a nation, for old buildings, like a native language, form a cultural identity and keep a unique record of a country. For instance, Siheyuan, courtyard residence of Beijing, was once seen as the remains of the Old World, and was destroyed shortly after the founding of People Republic of China. But their cultural values and aesthetic appeals have just caught the attention of Chinese people. Not until recently have people and policy makers realized that this is an inexcusable crime because old buildings, once gone, are not restorable.Moreover, old buildings, if planned and preserved properly, could actually contribute to businesses. In France, aged buildings amaze thousands of tourists, bringing millions of dollars of revenue for the government. Yet no one thinks the high-rising office buildings make the old architectures a sore of the eye. By contrast, new buildings incorporate many elements of the old and classic to be unique and more attractive to modern people.Nevertheless, we are not advocating equal treatment for all old buildings, and some do need to be torn down, partly because of safety reasons and partly because they are indeed causing extreme inconvenience to the inhabitants themselves, because of the outdated sewage system or poor heating system. Despite this, some historically significant buildings also deserve our protection and we should not be blind to their worth, if we only take into consideration the short-term benefits, our country will be sorry for their loss in years to come.As we have discussed, old buildings are part of a countrys history and are valuable in many ways. We have to plan well and be wise to see such values. At the same time, we should also do our utmost to find solutions to make the old and the new coexist in harmony.