From Chinese Press

Preserve our past properly

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-12 07:54

Preserve our past properly

Commercial developers should pay more respect to historical sites and preserve their originality instead of only hankering after profit, says an article in Chutian Metropolis Daily. Excerpts:

After visiting the tomb of Zhao Kuangyin, the founder of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), in Gongyi city of Henan province recently, a reporter lamented that the historical and cultural site could have done with some facelift.

We know that many of the Song rulers' tombs were vandalized by the Jin and Yuan rulers who followed them. Refurbishing the tomb's desolate surroundings may foster better introspective historical view, but it also would give a few officials the golden chance to climb up the power ladder and make some money.

The reporter's appeal to develop the tomb and its surroundings commercially underscores two misleading mindsets: the urbanization frenzy and blind pursuit of GDP growth that has prompted many local governments to tear down countless old houses, and thus their historical and cultural roots; and the commercial development of ancient sites into tourist attractions just to make money.

We prefer protection-based development for our historical and cultural sites, greedy development will sever our historical and cultural roots.

(China Daily 05/12/2010 page9)