Illustration of renovation design and the current street look (small) from the Renmin Elevated Freeway in downtown Guangzhou. (Guangzhou Daily)

A face-lift kicked off on Guangzhou's Renmin Lu, so-called "the world's architecture museum" for its diversified-style 'Qilou' (Cantonese arcade-house) on Thursday, South Metropolis Daily reports.

The renovation in western old town is expected to complete by the end of this year, with the budget of 27 million yuan (3.96 million USD).

It is a part of the city's campaign of improving environment for the Asian Games next year.

The façade of some 50,000 square meters of 194 buildings are under decoration, including exterior painting, unlicensed building destruction, electricity rewiring and sidewalk rebuilding.

The road features decade-old buildings in British, American, former Soviet and modern style.

A façade decoration some years ago messes the architecture here. The latest renovation unifies all houses with refreshing grey color and bricks, making it more durable and European chic.

A number of rich overseas Chinese families were attracted to build their houses in the 4,562-meter-long Renmin Lu in 1930s.