Palatial centerpiece for new Xi'an park

XI'AN: A heritage park being developed on the site of the ancient Daming Palace will create jobs and provide a boost to local tourism, officials here have said.

Zheng Yulin, director of Xi'an heritage administration bureau, said yesterday the 10.3 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) project will focus mostly on the renovation of the palace - built in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) - but also include the construction of a museum, shops and apartments.

About 25,000 families will be relocated to make way for the scheme, he said.