This undated photo shows a typical ancient
residential building in Huangshan city. The city is seeking
adopters worldwide who can help protecting the architectural
relics.
Huangshan city in eastern China's Anhui Province, where the UNESCO world
heritage site Mount Huangshan is located, is adopting a new way to
protect its cultural relics.
Xinhua News Agency says the city will soon kick off a system of
global solicitation for adopters who wish to protect its thousands
of ancient residential buildings.
Adopters will be granted the rights of habitation and use, while
at the same time being responsible for maintaining the
architectural styles and structures of the sites.
Preferred adopters are organizations, families and
individuals.
The report didn't say how much one needs to pay to adopt a
building.
The plan comes when financial problems has become obstacles to
city governments preserving certain buildings, many of which have
survived for hundreds of years.
Xinhua says that these cultural relics are under the threat of
vanishing, with over 100 examples of ancient architecture being
bought every year by real estate developers - who turn them into
modern villas.
Local historical experts say the adoption solution will be
effective in both releasing the government's financial burden and
raising the public's awareness of the need for cultural
protection.
(CRI.cn May 23, 2007)
