Pingyao can also progress while protecting the past
PINGYAO ANCIENT CITY, a world cultural heritage site located in Pingyao county, Shanxi province, northern China, has recently seen a spate of illegal construction, including a Ferris wheel and excavation of basements. Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the local government authorities were overdeveloping the city and threatening the nation's heritage. Beijing News commented on Thursday:
Any undertaking should be within the law. The illegal construction in Pingyao must be corrected accordingly. The local county government has ordered all the constructions to be dismantled within one and a half months.
It it is crucial to preserve the cultural heritage as a whole, therefore, the relevant authorities shouldn't be complacent when making changes. But that doesn't mean there should be no changes. To get a bird's eye view of Pingyao, a Ferris wheel is a natural option.