The Pudong New Area government is planning to refurbish more than 30 excellent historic buildings over the next five years and then open them to the public as major tourist spots, a district official said yesterday.

District officials said it could cost more than 2 million yuan (US$240,000) to renovate each of the buildings. Afterward, the government will invite investors to bid for the right to develop some of the buildings into museums, exhibition centers or workshops and studios for artists.

"Pudong is known at home and abroad for its skyscrapers in Lujiazui, but not many people know the place is also home to various historic houses built in early last century," Zhu Longzhu, head of the district's cultural relics protection administration, told Shanghai Daily yesterday.

She said most of the historic buildings were built during late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the early years of the Republic of China (1912-1949). Many of the buildings were once home to famous educators, revolutionaries, writers and government officials.

One of the most renowned buildings is a small courtyard at 74 Nanshi Road in Chuansha where Soong Ching Ling, wife of Dr Sun Yat-sen, was born. Archives also show Soong's parents were married in the courtyard.

So far, the district government has allocated some 50 million yuan to rebuild the 170-year-old courtyard and to expand it to its original size. The work is scheduled to start in August.

Zhu said that the district is planning to develop old houses that were once the homes of renowned figures, such as Zhang Wentian -- once the country's vice minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry -- into memorial halls.

Other old houses will be turned into various cultural sites -- particularly private exhibition halls for paintings and ethnic artifacts.

Currently, some of the houses are used by some government and private organizations.

Officials also said they hope to set up a special tourist route in the district for those who wish to browse the district's excellent historic buildings.

"Typically, the old houses in Pudong possess the characteristics of Western architecture and the ancient village houses in south China," said Lin Weihang, an architecture researcher at Tongji University.

He said Chinese culture can be found in the buildings' bricks and wood carvings while Western culture is seen in the flowery patterns on walls and windows.

(Shanghai Daily June 9, 2004)