Traders will finally be forced to leave Minzu Dashijie market in Xidan, Xicheng district in May, following lengthy negotiations and even legal proceedings, Beijing cultural heritage authorities announced Thursday.

The market was on the site of the former State Tibetan and Mongolian School, which was established in 1913. It was converted into a market in 1988, one of the first "free" markets in the city, and it was formerly extremely popular. It was listed as a national-level cultural heritage protection unit in 2006.

The market's management office announced the voluntary closure of the market Wednesday.

Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage (BMACH) first filed suit in August 2011 claiming that the market had damaged some of the structure of the ancient buildings, originally known as the Changzhou Assembly Hall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The case was heard in Xicheng district court in 2012, but no judgment was made as the market's management office decided to leave voluntarily, said Kong Fanzhi, director of BMACH.

"We sued the market administration in 2012 since there were severe safety concerns about cultural protection after the vendors moved in," said Kong, noting that the market has been a source of income for the State Ethnic Affairs Commission who owned the market. BMACH has been trying to get the market out for a decade, he said.

Kong said that he fears the structure might have been damaged because of the inappropriate behavior of the vendors.

"Once the vendors are removed from the place, it can be used for cultural activities," he said, "but no commercial activities should be involved." Kong noted that there are still over 200 cultural relic units occupied by residents and government offices which are not open to the public in Beijing.

"Many of them have potential safety hazards," he said, citing fire risks as an example.

The market administration said Wednesday that vendors will be given two months to clear their stocks, and they will be refunded two months rent, but if vendors have not vacated by midnight on May 29, they will not be refunded any cash.

A vendor from Anhui Province, surnamed Zhang, said he has had a stall in the market since 2005, and his business was still good because of the central location in the Xidan shopping area.

But Zhang said that he was told he had to pay the entire rent for six months upfront just one day before the order to leave was given. 

"I've just paid 100,000 yuan ($16,090) for the rent and bought new summer clothing stock that cost tens of thousands of yuan," he said, noting that he and many other vendors will have to sell their goods at below cost price in order to clear the stock.

Like most of the vendors in the market, the money for the rent was borrowed from elsewhere.

"My great concern is that my rent might not be returned since nobody warned me about this," said Zhang.

"Besides, the two-month period is absolutely not long enough to clear my stock," he said. Zhang noted he is also unsure if they can find a new place at such short notice. 

One customer at the market, surnamed Zhang, said she had come for a final look round. 

"I never came here to shop but I heard that the market would be gone soon, so I came to see if there are any discount clothes," she said.

"I think the vendors should be moved out for cultural protection, but I worry about where they can go because there aren't many places for smaller-scale vendors in Xidan," she said.

Zeng Yizhi, from the International Committee of Monuments and Sites, who was in the market looking around Thursday, said she thinks the damage to the buildings is severe, and wonders how they can be renovated.

"It's OK for people to occupy a cultural protection unit, but it should be strictly under the condition that there's no damage to it or to the landscape," she said.

The market administration refused to comment Thursday.