Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's
Shaanxi Province and home to numerous cultural relics and
tourist destinations, has drawn up long-term plans to protect its
city wall scenic area.
To maintain its unique style, the 3,000-year-old city will build
a number of projects in coming years, Beijing-based newspaper
China Daily reports on Friday.
There will be renovations of the ancient city wall, the moat and
the circular park, and improvements to surrounding roads and
lanes.
The Development Plan of Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area was
discussed by an appraisal committee in the city early this week,
the paper says.
"With the efforts to be made in the following 15 years, we hope
our city wall scenic area can be listed as a World Cultural
Heritage site," said Qiao Zheng, Xi'an's vice-mayor, who is in
charge of urban planning and construction.
"From 2010 to 2020, some cultural relic markets, special themed
museums, leisure and tourism blocks, religious cultural areas and
arts and performance areas will be built in the city wall scenic
area," said Xue Wuping, deputy director of Xi'an City Urban
Construction Committee.
Xi'an plans to invest 10 billion yuan (US$1.23 billion) in urban
construction projects in 2006, but Xue failed to say how much would
be used for the city wall project.
Xi'an, one of China's ancient cities with more than 3,000 years
of urban construction history, served as capital of 13 ancient
dynasties over more than 1,000 years. The city's renowned ancient
city wall, built in early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is the only
well-protected such wall in China.
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2006)
