Historic city moves mountains in its zeal to modernize

In Yan'an, a remote mountainous city in the north of Shaanxi province that is revered as the cradle of the Chinese Communist revolution, a new type of revolution is taking place.

"Right now, more than 500,000 residents are living in the 36 square kilometers of Yan'an old city," said Cao Yongyun, deputy Party chief of the Working Committee for the Yan'an new city zone.

"The old city is so cramped that most flat land has been used for buildings, but intensive human activities and construction might disturb the many cultural and historical sites inside," Cao said. "So in 2011, the city government invited experts to discuss how to expand the city, and they made a bold and unprecedented decision - build a new city on the hills."