Building in ancient city wall sparks controversy

A view of city wall at Chaoyangmen in Xincheng district of Xi'an and the layout of the office building inside it. [Photo/cnwest.com]

A four-story office complex built inside a renovated section of the ancient city wall in China's northwestern city of Xi'an has sparked preservation concerns.

An article posted on the provincial government publicity department's website claimed that a section of the ancient wall had been hollowed out to make way for the office complex.

The story drew much criticism, especially as local authorities had been working toward securing world cultural heritage status for the wall.

The modern office complex features conference rooms, offices, a dining hall and a rehearsal hall. It is used by the administration's committee for the Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area.

The report quoted a city preservation expert, who said the construction work had damaged the cultural relic.

However, officials from the committee were of a different opinion.

Since the early 1980s, the Xi'an government has initiated restoration projects for the 13.74-km-long ancient city wall, as it has been seriously damaged throughout its 600-year history. As a result many of the wall's multiple breaches, or hollow caves, have been filled in.

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Building in ancient city wall sparks controversy