The government of Jiujiang City, in central China's Jiangxi Province, plans to relocate all 12,000
residents currently living on Lushan Mountain, a world cultural
heritage site, to a newly built neighborhood to protect the
mountain, Xinhua news agency reported today.
Within three years, all residents will move to Lushan New City
in Fanglan Village in Lushan District. The government will kick off
the construction of the 2-square-kilometer area soon and finish the
first phase in 2008.
The neighborhood will combine schools, hospitals and business
areas together to be more convenient for residents.
The relocation is to protect the mountain's ecological
environment and to maintain its sustainable development, said Zhao
Zhiyong, the deputy governor of Jiangxi Province.
The local government will also limit the volume of tourists to
1.8 million annually starting this year.
Lushan Mountain is one of the 33 world heritage sites in China
and has been a traditional popular summer resort.
(Shanghai Daily July 25, 2006)
