(BEIJING, July 30) -- The Chinese government has succeeded in transforming Beijing into a modern, cosmopolitan city while protecting its 3,000-year cultural heritage, Kong Fanzhi, director, and Yu Ping, deputy director, of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, told reporters at a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on July 30.
Beijing has long been faced with the complex responsibility of protecting the cultural heritage, relics and artifacts that have accumulated in the past 3,000 years. The task has been made all the more difficult for the central and municipal governments, as modernization of the urban environment in the city has been equally essential.
As it has in developing its economy, Beijing has also been attempting to take into account the experience of developed countries in preserving its heritage.
Kong introduced the government's approaches to preserving historical and cultural heritages in the city. By preserving the core essence of the city, it is preserving the sites of the Ming and Qing Dynasties that have existed for more than 500 years. The 7.8-kilometer Central Axis running from Yongdingmen, crossing through Zhengyangmen, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and then to the Bell and Drum Towers, still remains intact. The imperial city area (8.6 square meters), including the imperial garden, is well preserved, and its original pattern in a reversed capitalized T remains unchanged.
Moreover, Beijing spreads the scope of preservation to the cultural houses and hutong in a large area and the more than 1,000 heritage buildings within the ancient city.
For effective protection, a series of rules, regulations and laws have been passed to protect the famous historical and cultural city. Kong named the laws protecting the imperial city and the imperial palace as examples.
For modern buildings, high-rises in particular, a limit was in place on the height of new buildings built prior to 2004; now there is control on both the height and number of buildings.
Kong revealed that the government's investment in heritage protection reached 930 million yuan in 2000-2007 and it will increase to 1.2 billion yuan in 2008-2015. Before 1990, the total annual investment was only around one million yuan. In addition, society has invested five billion yuan into those protection projects. In the past eight years, 139 projects have been completed, of which 78 projects increased the number of areas open to the public. The Summer Palace, for example, after renovation, has opened up the western part to the public, with 20 hectares of accessible garden.
Moreover, the government has put in one billion yuan for the renovation of hutong and siheyuan to improve the living conditions of local residents.
Finally he introduced the protection efforts in the planning and construction of the Olympic venues and installations.
Beijing has long been faced with the complex responsibility of protecting the cultural heritage, relics and artifacts that have accumulated in the past 3,000 years. The task has been made all the more difficult for the central and municipal governments, as modernization of the urban environment in the city has been equally essential.
As it has in developing its economy, Beijing has also been attempting to take into account the experience of developed countries in preserving its heritage.
Kong introduced the government's approaches to preserving historical and cultural heritages in the city. By preserving the core essence of the city, it is preserving the sites of the Ming and Qing Dynasties that have existed for more than 500 years. The 7.8-kilometer Central Axis running from Yongdingmen, crossing through Zhengyangmen, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park and then to the Bell and Drum Towers, still remains intact. The imperial city area (8.6 square meters), including the imperial garden, is well preserved, and its original pattern in a reversed capitalized T remains unchanged.
Moreover, Beijing spreads the scope of preservation to the cultural houses and hutong in a large area and the more than 1,000 heritage buildings within the ancient city.
For effective protection, a series of rules, regulations and laws have been passed to protect the famous historical and cultural city. Kong named the laws protecting the imperial city and the imperial palace as examples.
For modern buildings, high-rises in particular, a limit was in place on the height of new buildings built prior to 2004; now there is control on both the height and number of buildings.
Kong revealed that the government's investment in heritage protection reached 930 million yuan in 2000-2007 and it will increase to 1.2 billion yuan in 2008-2015. Before 1990, the total annual investment was only around one million yuan. In addition, society has invested five billion yuan into those protection projects. In the past eight years, 139 projects have been completed, of which 78 projects increased the number of areas open to the public. The Summer Palace, for example, after renovation, has opened up the western part to the public, with 20 hectares of accessible garden.
Moreover, the government has put in one billion yuan for the renovation of hutong and siheyuan to improve the living conditions of local residents.
Finally he introduced the protection efforts in the planning and construction of the Olympic venues and installations.
Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/live/pressconference/mpc/n214489296.shtml
