Beijing Strives to Protect Cultural Relics

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 ◆ Beijing Strives to Protect Cultural Relics

Long-term plans are now being worked out to further protect Beijing's rich cultural and historical heritage, Friday's China Daily reports.

Local government departments plan to publish and start to carryout the strategy early next year, sources said.

The ambitious plan aims to cover the city's 25 cultural relic zones, including Zhonggulou, Nanchizi and Dashalan, which account for 37 percent of the 62.5 square kilometers of the old city areas constructed in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The municipal government will also make effort to protect the city's five World Heritage Sites such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven.

Sources said that the height of new buildings around these relics will be strictly limited. Meanwhile, protection of underground cultural relics is on the agenda.

Beijing also plans to move some residents and institutions out of the old city areas and repair the city's river networks.

The city cultural heritage bureau said that over 330 million yuan will be injected to protect cultural relics by the end of next year.

Beijing has 7,000 cultural relics with more than 100 scattered around the old city.(Xinhua News Agency)