Critics pan lift plan near relic
By Xu Chi |
August 2, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A project to set up elevators near 600-year-old city walls could be canceled if it violates cultural relic protection laws, according to Nanjing officials.
Last week, Nanjing's tourism officials suggested setting up glass elevators at city walls built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to make it easier for tourists to gain access, the Nanjing Morning Post reported.
The officials said the project would not damage the walls as they didn't plan to build the elevators inside the walls, but set them up nearby and use short bridges to link the elevators and the walls, the newspaper said.
But the project sparked controversy among local residents and started a debate among experts about whether the project would ruin the ancient relic.
A cultural relic protection expert in Nanjing told the newspaper that a law had been passed in 2010 banning anything from being built within 30 meters of the walls.
"If the elevators were to be set up according to the project, the workers would build structures near the walls, which would violate the law," the expert, who was not named in the report, told the newspaper.
Some residents welcomed the project as they believed the elevators would help them and tourists to climb the walls more easily. Others, however, said the elevators would look out of place beside the walls and they feared a growing number of visitors would damage them.
"The elevators, whether built in transparent materials or not, would not fit the ancient walls in appearance. Without the elevators, the ancient walls can be protected by controlling the number of visitors," said Tao Zhuomin, a professor with Nanjing Normal University.
Last week, Nanjing's tourism officials suggested setting up glass elevators at city walls built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to make it easier for tourists to gain access, the Nanjing Morning Post reported.
The officials said the project would not damage the walls as they didn't plan to build the elevators inside the walls, but set them up nearby and use short bridges to link the elevators and the walls, the newspaper said.
But the project sparked controversy among local residents and started a debate among experts about whether the project would ruin the ancient relic.
A cultural relic protection expert in Nanjing told the newspaper that a law had been passed in 2010 banning anything from being built within 30 meters of the walls.
"If the elevators were to be set up according to the project, the workers would build structures near the walls, which would violate the law," the expert, who was not named in the report, told the newspaper.
Some residents welcomed the project as they believed the elevators would help them and tourists to climb the walls more easily. Others, however, said the elevators would look out of place beside the walls and they feared a growing number of visitors would damage them.
"The elevators, whether built in transparent materials or not, would not fit the ancient walls in appearance. Without the elevators, the ancient walls can be protected by controlling the number of visitors," said Tao Zhuomin, a professor with Nanjing Normal University.
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