Historic site to be a club for the rich
By Zhang Xuanchen |
May 20, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A LUXURY club is to open in the Mountain Resort of Chengde in north China's Hebei Province, adding to widespread concern that some restored historical sites in China are being turned into exclusive venues for the rich.
Construction of the "Royal Club" is in full swing in the resort's Wanfu Garden. China's largest imperial garden was listed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1994.
Workers are currently busy renovating houses and yurts, more than 200 years old, where ancient Chinese emperors spent their summer months and laid on lavish entertainment for foreign envoys, while new buildings are also half completed, according to a report in yesterday's Yanzhao Metropolis Daily.
Due to open in the middle of June, the club is expected to encompass 24 yurt-turned-hotels with some 40 luxury rooms.
Facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and restaurants offering top-brand wines and 50 kinds of cigars will also be in place, according to an advertisement for the club.
The club will only accept 100 people as its first batch of members. Joining requires a deposit of at least 200,000 yuan (US$30,750) on a membership card, a club employee said. A second batch of members will have to pay an entry fee of 100,000 yuan.
The club is co-invested by Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau and Chengde City Urban Construction Investment Co of Chengde City and is managed by the newly launched Chengde Mountain Resort Royal Club Co, the newspaper said.
When the project kicked off, officials from the Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau said construction inside the resort was aimed at renovating the ancient buildings while maintaining their original appearance.
Construction involving protected historic venues needs to be approved by provincial-level governments and permission from the State Council. Officials in the Chengde City department responsible for fixed assets investment said they had not received reports about the project.
Yesterday, Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau told China News Service that details in the advertisement, which was made by its partner without its approval, weren't consistent with the real situation.
Construction of the "Royal Club" is in full swing in the resort's Wanfu Garden. China's largest imperial garden was listed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1994.
Workers are currently busy renovating houses and yurts, more than 200 years old, where ancient Chinese emperors spent their summer months and laid on lavish entertainment for foreign envoys, while new buildings are also half completed, according to a report in yesterday's Yanzhao Metropolis Daily.
Due to open in the middle of June, the club is expected to encompass 24 yurt-turned-hotels with some 40 luxury rooms.
Facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and restaurants offering top-brand wines and 50 kinds of cigars will also be in place, according to an advertisement for the club.
The club will only accept 100 people as its first batch of members. Joining requires a deposit of at least 200,000 yuan (US$30,750) on a membership card, a club employee said. A second batch of members will have to pay an entry fee of 100,000 yuan.
The club is co-invested by Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau and Chengde City Urban Construction Investment Co of Chengde City and is managed by the newly launched Chengde Mountain Resort Royal Club Co, the newspaper said.
When the project kicked off, officials from the Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau said construction inside the resort was aimed at renovating the ancient buildings while maintaining their original appearance.
Construction involving protected historic venues needs to be approved by provincial-level governments and permission from the State Council. Officials in the Chengde City department responsible for fixed assets investment said they had not received reports about the project.
Yesterday, Chengde Cultural Heritage Bureau told China News Service that details in the advertisement, which was made by its partner without its approval, weren't consistent with the real situation.
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