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Temple of Heaven cultural circle to emerge
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2007-03-12 11:51
BOCOG
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BEIJING, March 9 -- The government of Chongwen District in Beijing is committed to building the Cultural Circle of the Temple of Heaven, in order to develop the economy while preserving local characteristics, as the capital city advances the strategy of "accelerating the development of South Beijing" in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games, said the 2007 Chongwen government work report.
As one of the central districts of old Beijing, Chongwen boasts immense historical and cultural resources within its area of 16.46 square kilometers.
The Temple of Heaven is a world cultural heritage site located at the center of the district and attracts attention from both home and abroad. The Corner Tower of the city wall of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Embrasured Watchtower over the Front Gate, the Yongding Gate Tower, and the Zuoan Gate Tower, situated to the northeast, northwest, southwest and southeast corners respectively of the district, form a square city pattern.
Statistics show that there are 105 historical and cultural relics in the district, with cultural tourism resources occupying 47.2 percent of its directly usable land.
With the Temple of Heaven as the center, a cultural circle has taken initial shape in Chongwen. The district displays a unique blend of the traditional and the modern, which accords a significant character to the cultural circle of the Temple of Heaven and further enhances its appeal.
Three functional areas
Chongwen District will focus on constructing three areas with distinct industrial functions - the Front Gate cultural innovation industrial area, the Longtan Lake sports industrial park area, and the south-central axes modern commercial area, Party Secretary of Chongwen District Li Xiaoguang said.
The cultural circle will therefore be able to showcase Beijing as an ancient capital with modern cultural industries.
As many old houses in the Front Gate area have fallen into disrepair over the years, a large number of cultural relics and historical sites scattered in these residencies are in great peril.
This has prompted the Chongwen district government to launch a large-scale renovation project. More than 12,000 residents have been moved out of the area, while numerous hazardous structures have been repaired.
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