The central government is expected to adopt a new law aimed at protecting areas with cultural relics and historical buildings by the first half of the year, officials said.

But this municipality has gone even faster in the effort to safeguard its historical heritage and relics.

Ruan Yisan, director of the research center dedicated to protecting China's famous historical cities and a renowned professor with Tongji University, said, "Shanghai can be called an important usher for the law, since it has set an example for the whole country."

Shanghai recently issued a regulation on the same issue, the first of its kind in the country.

Ruan added that the officials of the Municipal Urban Planning Bureau have invited a group of architectural experts, including him, to act as consultants.

"We are now working together to draft the detailed rules for the implementation of the regulation, and the rules are scheduled to come out by the end of this year," Ruan disclosed.

The regulation has circumscribed a dozen areas of historical and architectural importance for preservation, which amount to an area of 27 square kilometers in total.

The 13 areas are the Bund, the People's Square, Yuyuan Garden and old areas including Nanjing Road West, Hengshan Road, Fuxing Road, Yuyuan Road, Hongqiao Road, Shanyin Road, Tilanqiao, Longhua, Xinhua Road and Jiangwan.

Officials of the Municipal Urban Planning Bureau believe that with the detailed new rules, the city will apply more effective and strict measures to protect the historical architectures and areas, while raising foreign investment for the protective and renovative projects.

Ruan is now engaged in selecting renovation plans for former Jewish refugee residences used during the World War II, which are mainly located in the Hongkou District, the city's northeast part.

Ruan admits that foreign investments are crucial to the projects.

"However, the renovation plans put forward no matter by Chinese architects or foreign ones must be concordant with the excellent historical buildings and the surrounding areas such as the plantation, the lighting and the paving stones," Ruan added.

Ruan has refused two world famous and financially-strong developers, saying "their proposals are of high quality but not in harmony with the original buildings."

The officials of the bureau also believe that the regulation will not only prevent rash property developers but negligent owners from harming the precious buildings.

(China Daily February 23, 2004)