Construction of Shanxi alumina project destroys Great Wall beacon tower and ancient tombs
Shanghai (Interfax-China) -The Great Wall is one of the best-known symbols of China and Chinese law strictly protects it. However, in late 2004, despite widespread criticism, the Shanxi Luneng Jinbei Aluminum Industry Corp. (Luneng), leveled a beacon tower of the Great Wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty, during the construction of a major project, a one mln tons alumina production line.
The 600-year-old tower, in Yuanping Town within Yizhou City of central Shanxi Province, was razed to the ground during the three-day grading of the site. During the construction, about 30 ancient tombs of the Han Dynasty, nearly 2000 years old, were also destroyed. An official who refused to reveal his name with the Cultural Relics Bureau of Shanxi Province confirmed their destruction to Interfax.
"The beacon tower, which is now completely gone, was a provincial ancient cultural relic unit in our province," the official explained. He said because the administration and Luneng were not able to agree on a specific figure for the funding necessary to protect the cultural relics, the two signs did not make any arrangement or deal to handle the issue.
"They revealed that the company could not accept our bid on the excavation fee," the official added. Nevertheless, when the bureau issued a notice blocking any new construction from destroying the beacon tower, the company ignored the order and then demolished the tower and tombs.
Additionally, the official revealed to Interfax that the provincial government just issued instructions about the illegal destruction. He revealed main part of the document to Interfax, which said "The project of Jinbei, which obviously will promote the local economical development, is an important, large construction for Shanxi Province, and should be supported by the all aspects. Of course, as key historical relics, the relics on the construction site should be preserved with religious care. Therefore, there must be close co-operation between the aluminum company and the local government to prospect and preserve the relics."
However, it seems that the document had little practical effect. When asked whether there would be any punishment for the demolition, the official said that they company would not face any penalties. He refused to comment on the decision and ended the interview.
According to an official surnamed Teng with Luneng, the conflict between the company and the local cultural relics bureau had been resolved and did not have any influence on their normal operation. "After Vice Provincial Governor Song Beishan's mediation, it has been already ended," she announced.
According to reports in the Chinese domestic media, several valuable cultural relics were discovered when the Han Dynasty tombs were destroyed. Construction workers and local villagers fought to loot the relics, most of which disappeared while most of disappeared during the struggle. An investigation by the local cultural relics bureau showed that many relics had been sold on the black market.
Under the relics preservation law of China, before any large construction project near historic ruins, archaeological excavations and investigations must be organized by the provincial, regional or municipal cultural relics bureau, while the excavation cost must be accounted into the construction budget and the all items discovered are national property.
"There is no governmental document, instruction or direction can supercede this law," an official surnamed Liu with the National Cultural Relics Bureau of China told Interfax.
As Interfax previously reported, the alumina production project with 1 mln tons annual capacity of the Shanxi Luneng Jinbei Aluminum Corp., the Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (Chalco), and the Shandong based listed conglomerate Luneng Group Co., Ltd (Luneng) and a Shanxi government owned investment company started construction on October 16, 2004.
The total investment will amount to RMB 6 bln (USD 724.9 mln) for the first phase of the project, which includes a 1-mln-ton alumina production project, bauxite-mining project with 1.5 mln tons output per year, a lime ores project with 800,000 tons annual capacity, a thermal power station, and a gas-making plant. Once the project enters full production, it expects to employ over 10,000 workers.
The illegal destruction of cultural relics during construction is a recurring problem in China. One of the biggest scandals occurred in 1997, when a report released by Nanfang Zhoumo (Southern Weekends), China's leading newspaper, criticized the lack of the relics preservation in the Three Gorges Dam Project, in contrast to other more optimistic reports, shocking both the public and government officials.
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