The owners of the former residence of Li Hongzhang, a chief minister of the Qing Dynasty who tried to modernize China, have been ordered by local authorities to vacate the property to make room for a luxury hotel.

Thirty-eight-year-old Wang Chun, whose mother Shi Shuha and her brothers own the No 55 courtyard house in Dongtangzi Hutong, Dongcheng district, found a ruling stuck in their front gate on Monday issued by the local authorities on Dec 18 that asks them to move out of the house before the end of the year.

Despite freezing temperatures making the courtyard house unlivable over the winter, Wang visits every day back to check the location.

"If I didn't come back everyday, I would not know if the house was still there or not," Wang said yesterday. "We hold the permanent proprietorship and are definitely not moving out."

The No 55 courtyard was bought by Wang's grandfather in 1932 and identified as the Chinese historical figure Li Hongzhang's former residence in 2004.

The family was informed that the house would be torn down to make way for a hotel.

Wang and his family sued Dongcheng district housing bureau for infringing their property rights at Dongcheng district court on Nov 6.

He claimed the house should be preserved for its historical value.

Wang's uncle Shi Shuqing, a renowned expert on cultural relics, also owned the courtyard house at one time.

Wang said the house should have been recognized as a cultural relic.

"The reason why it was not recognized is because my uncle did not want other people to think he was seeking personal gain," Wang was quoted by the Beijing News as saying.

However, the court ruled against Wang last month and said they did not see the value of protecting the house as a cultural heritage.

Wang appealed to the court on Nov. 20 and the date of the retrial is yet to be decided.

"It is absurd. The housing bureau sent the letter to us while we were waiting for the trial," he said.