The Chinese capital of Beijing has designed a comprehensive plan
for the preservation of historical sites and cultural relics dating
back to several ancient dynasties.
"The Protection Layout for Beijing as a Noted Historical and
Cultural City" was issued recently as a joint effort by the Beijing
municipal government, experts and scholars in various fields.
The Protection Layout of Beijing, one of the country's six ancient
capitals along with Xi'an, Nanjing, Luoyang, Kaifeng, and Hangzhou,
is the most important cultural preservation document in the city's
history.
To
preserve the city as a whole, the layout gives detailed
requirements on 10 aspects, including the ancient city water
system, the traditional city axis, the prestigious imperial palace,
the world-famous "Hutong" or alleys, and ancient trees.
Forty historical and cultural sites were selected and sorted out
for special protection. They cover a total area of 2,617 hectares
(6,467 acres), or 42 percent of the ancient city's main area.
The 6.8-sq-km Forbidden City, the imperial residence of emperors
during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368--1911 AD), will be the
main focus of the preservation plan.
The municipal government of Beijing hopes to have the Forbidden
City listed on the United Nations World Cultural Heritage after
giving it a thorough facelift.
The layout also focuses on the protection of rivers and lakes in
and around Beijing municipality and on restoring them to their
ancient magnificence.
These rivers and lakes are deeply entwined in the city's evolution,
according to experts.
The layout also sets ceilings on the height of buildings to be
built or rebuilt in the old city area, requiring a traditional
cyan-and-gray color and sloping-roofs for all types of
architecture.
Moreover, the names of traditional streets and alleys will be
protected and must not be changed arbitrarily, the layout
added.
(Xinhua News
Agency September 21, 2002)