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)