Beijing's cultural relics are attracting more foreigners' eyes,
not only for sightseeing but also for business.?
As the municipal government prepares to invest hundreds of
millions to repair such relics, opportunities for foreign relic
rehabilitation companies are plentiful.
Representatives of 10 Italian companies engaged in relic
rehabilitation and renovation were in Beijing yesterday for a
seminar on Sino-Italian cooperation on relic rehabilitation. Nearly
20 Beijing companies also participated in yesterday's seminar.
Kong Fanzhi, vice-director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of
Cultural Relics, said the 3,000-year-old Chinese capital has
numerous cultural relics such as ancient buildings, gardens and
various kinds of articles that need to be repaired or
renovated.
Several Italian companies are already involved in some relic
reparation projects in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi
Province and a famous historical and cultural city in China, said
Zhang Nanan, a trade analyst with the Italian Trade Commission
Beijing Office.
Zhang said some Italian companies are taking part in the ongoing
renovation project of the Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing
dynasties (1368-1911).
According to the Beijing cultural relics bureau, some Japanese
companies have also participated in renovation projects of the
Imperial Palace, which is the most extensive reparation in history
with a cost of 1 billion yuan (US$121 million) and a six-year
timeframe.
Kong said the Beijing municipal government has planned to invest
600 million yuan (US$72.6 million) between 2003 and 2007 in relic
protection and there are many opportunities for domestic and
foreign companies in the field.
"We will launch many renovation projects next year in the old
city area, and the rehabilitation of traditional Chinese courtyards
is an important one," said Kong.
(China Daily December 12, 2003)