A group of European-style buildings dating from the early 1900s in Harbin City, northeast China, will be refurbished this year in a major facelift of the city's busiest commercial district.
The European-style architecture built by foreigners from Russia, Germany, France, Britain and Italy sit in an area of 10,000 square meters around the Central Avenue of the city.
Meng Xiangxi, an official with the administration of the street, said these antique structures were "living fossils" recording life in Harbin a century ago, and the facelift would feature the mixture of Chinese and Western cultures these buildings would reflect.
To return the area to its original look, Meng said, some 213 households and 31 business premises will be relocated and buildings constructed without licenses would be demolished.
Total investment for the project is 150 million yuan (18.07 million US dollars). Upon completion, the area would stand as a special business district where residents and tourists can appreciate the European-style architecture, recall the city's past and shop in an exotic environment, Meng said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2003)
