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Ancient Xi'an restored in major project

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A massive preservation project aiming to restore the ancient layout of Xi'an will be completed by 2020 in the capital city of Shaanxi province.

Ancient Xi'an restored in major project.[File photo]

At the center of the project is the construction of a special relics park at the site of the ancient city of Chang'an.

Work started last year and is progressing well, said Xi'an Mayor Dong Jun.

"Xi'an is famous for its Terracotta Warriors, but we have much more than that," he said. "With this project, we want to restore the urban layout of Xi'an back to what it was 2,000 years ago."

Chang'an, which means "perpetual peace" in classical Chinese, was an ancient capital for more than ten dynasties, and today is known as Xi'an.

For more than 200 years during the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD24), Chang'an was the center of Chinese politics, economy and culture. Given the frequency of international exchanges that took place in the city, Han Dynasty Chang'an is regarded as China's earliest international metropolis, according to Dong.

Historical records show that the city took 90 years to build, from 194 to 104 BC. It was prosperous and functionally designed, containing eight main streets, 160 alleys and nine marketplaces.

Today, many cultural relics of the ancient Chang'an still exist, but they need proper preservation, Dong added.

To achieve that, the city government plans to create a special relics park covering the center of the ancient city in Northwest Xi'an, covering an area of 75 sq km, he said.

The mayor did not disclose the estimated investment of the project, but previous media reports said it may cost 60 billion yuan ($7.7 billion).

A key feature will be the remains of the imperial Weiyang Palace complex, where many major historical events took place. For instance, Zhang Qian, a diplomat of the Western Han Dynasty, set out from there to inaugurate the Silk Road.

Dong said city officials are currently busy preparing for a heritage examination by UNESCO officers on Weiyang Palace this summer.

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