What is the fine-grained topic of the following text: The images of an ancient China that many search for, those we commonly see depicted in novels and films – that of peaceful, open courtyards with delicately tiled roofs, narrow, lantern-lit alleyways that snake through the heart of a city, hidden temples and shrines identifiable by the fragrant trail of incense smoke, the simplicity of a family’s laundry hanging out to dry on the line, rickshaw drivers ferrying their passengers to and fro, and merchants tending to their shop houses on bustling pedestrian streets – are more often than not being replaced by high-rise office towers, blinding-neon lights, and the buzz of automobile and motorbike traffic in today’s modern society. Only return the topic.
The transformation of traditional, ancient Chinese settings into modern urban landscapes.