China plans to spend billions of dollars to build a culture symbolic project in the eastern province of Shandong, home to ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, to revive traditional cultural values, including Confucianism.
Jiang Daming, governor of Shandong, announced at a news conference in Beijing that the “Chinese Cultural Symbolic City” will be built in the Ji’ning City, spanning more than 300 sq.km.
The city will incorporate the country-level city of Qufu, ancestral home of Confucius, and Zoucheng, home of Mencius, and the Jiulong Mountain range between the two cities. The whole project covers refurbishing the homes of the two ancient philosophers and building new architectures in the Jiulong mountain range, Jiang said.
The project planning and construction commission, chaired by top Shandong officials, will solicit ideas on project designing from the public.
Details of the solicitation are available at the city’s website, www.ccsc.gov.cn.
Jiang said all design plans will be reviewed by a consultation panel of some 30 top artists, sinologists and architects in China. The ambitious engineering project, initiated by 69 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2001, aims to showcase the traditional values like peace, harmony and ingenuity advocated by ancient philosophers such as Confucius.
The project has won supports from many, including Pei Ieoh Ming, renowned architect and glass pyramid designer of Louvre, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and an initiator of the project, said: “The city will exhibit and commemorate the long-honoured Chinese values, such as refining personal morality, cherishing peace and harmony, and filial piety. Ideally, it shall be the spiritual home for the whole nation.” Xu told reporters that the total budget of the project will be made after design plans are finalized, and forecasts the total cost to surpass about $4.2 billion estimated in 2004.
Construction is expected to start before 2010.
Courtesy: Xinhua and The Hindu, March 3, 2008
Jiang Daming, governor of Shandong, announced at a news conference in Beijing that the “Chinese Cultural Symbolic City” will be built in the Ji’ning City, spanning more than 300 sq.km.
The city will incorporate the country-level city of Qufu, ancestral home of Confucius, and Zoucheng, home of Mencius, and the Jiulong Mountain range between the two cities. The whole project covers refurbishing the homes of the two ancient philosophers and building new architectures in the Jiulong mountain range, Jiang said.
The project planning and construction commission, chaired by top Shandong officials, will solicit ideas on project designing from the public.
Details of the solicitation are available at the city’s website, www.ccsc.gov.cn.
Jiang said all design plans will be reviewed by a consultation panel of some 30 top artists, sinologists and architects in China. The ambitious engineering project, initiated by 69 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2001, aims to showcase the traditional values like peace, harmony and ingenuity advocated by ancient philosophers such as Confucius.
The project has won supports from many, including Pei Ieoh Ming, renowned architect and glass pyramid designer of Louvre, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Xu Jialu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and an initiator of the project, said: “The city will exhibit and commemorate the long-honoured Chinese values, such as refining personal morality, cherishing peace and harmony, and filial piety. Ideally, it shall be the spiritual home for the whole nation.” Xu told reporters that the total budget of the project will be made after design plans are finalized, and forecasts the total cost to surpass about $4.2 billion estimated in 2004.
Construction is expected to start before 2010.
Courtesy: Xinhua and The Hindu, March 3, 2008
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