Ancient Xi'an restored in major project
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China Daily, March 22, 2013
But a current priority for the construction of the relic park is to relocate about 100,000 residents.
"So far, 15,000 people from nine villages in the district have been relocated, and all of them have received proper resettlement," Dong said.
To preserve the ancient city, Xi'an government has been imposing restrictions on the development of some industries in the district, which have greatly affected the income of local residents, Dong added.
Last year, the per capita annual income of residents in the district was only 10,000 yuan, a third of that for residents living outside the district, he said.
"Therefore, we have paid special attention to safeguarding the rights and interests of local residents during the relocation."
For example, the resettlement area has been placed near the city government offices. Hospitals, schools, supermarkets and parks are also being built to facilitate their transition, Dong said.
The ongoing preservation efforts are expected to boost visitor numbers to the city this year.
Last year, Xi'an attracted 78.64 million domestic tourists and 1.15 million overseas tourists, 20 percent and 15 percent rises respectively on 2012, according to official figures.
"This year, we expect to see 1.3 million overseas travelers," Dong said.
"And we plan to better promote the city overseas, such as advertising in foreign media and making promotional films in multiple languages."
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)