BEIJING, March 3 -- A cultural project costing
4.2-billion U.S. dollars will be built in Shandong Province, home of ancient
Chinese philosopher Confucius, in a bid to revive traditional values including
Confucianism, authorities said over the weekend.
The "Chinese Cultural Symbolic City", touted as the
first of its kind in the country, will cover 300 sq km with an estimated
investment of at least 30 billion yuan (4.2 billion dollars), Shandong governor
Jiang Daming said at a news conference on Saturday in Beijing.
The project will be in the city of Jining, one of the
cradles of Chinese civilization and the birthplace of Confucius and his major
disciple Mencius.
The new cultural city will incorporate the
county-level city of Qufu, ancestral home of Confucius; Zoucheng, home of
Mencius; and the Jiulong Mountain range between the two cities.
"The overall layout of the Symbolic City will combine
the three areas, in which historical and cultural resources will be effectively
protected, improved and integrated," Jiang said.
"It should be a masterpiece of Chinese history and
civilization, with a rich cultural tradition benefiting generations to come," he
said.
Xu Jialu, vice chairman of the standing committee of
the National People's Congress, said: "The construction of the Symbolic City is
not only a project of Shandong and China, but a Chinese gift to the whole
world."
"I hope the initial construction of the project can
be started before 2010," Xu, who is also the director-general of the expert
advisory committee of the project, told reporters on the sidelines of the
conference.
Designs and plans for the city are being solicited
from the public till September, officials said.
Entries will be selected based on criteria that
include reflecting the common values and aesthetics of the Chinese, and designs
containing both modern and classic characteristics, he said.
There will be a top prize of 2 million yuan, followed
by three first prizes of 1 million yuan each, and six second and nine third
prizes.
Submissions that make it to the final round will also
be presented to the public.
President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and many
other Party and top officials have paid great attention to the project.
All design plans will be reviewed by a panel made up
of about 30 top artists, sinologists and architects in China, Jiang said.
(Source: China Daily)
