Extravagant image projects criticized

Facilities 'inaccessible to ordinary people' are wasteful, advisers say

BEIJING - The construction of extravagant cultural facilities as image boosters has not only wasted public money but also aggravated popular discontent, the country's top political advisers have said.

During the ongoing National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) session, members have criticized the fad in which local governments pour vast sums of money into cultural image projects, such as grand theaters and museums, while ignoring the people's real needs.