Gardens dismantled that were illegally built on protected land

Cao Bo, who came to public attention for allegedly illegally building in a State-owned forest area in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, has been detained by local police over claims he illegally occupied agricultural lands, and for deforestation, Beijing News said on Tuesday.

In addition to Cao, who is the legal representative of the Heilongjiang Caoyuan Culture Investment Co, Su Linfang, the company’s vice-manager, was also detained for allegedly committing the same offenses.

Cao was named in a report by China National Radio on March 19 that claimed illegal private gardens had been built on Zhangguangcai Moutain.

On March 26, an investigative team headed by senior officials in the province ordered the company to demolish illegal buildings in the State-owned forest area of Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province, and to restore the forest habitat.

Five days later, 16 illegal buildings encompassing 3,118 square meters were removed, while restoration of land covering 6,453 square meters was begun. The company was ordered to remove demolition waste as soon as possible, and the evaluation of 35 other buildings in the protected area was also started.

The construction in the forest became known as The Gardens of Cao.

An investigate team has determined in its preliminary investigation that the company’s activities, which allegedly included logging, land occupation, and construction, were all illegal.

The investigators also said the State-owned Junmachang Forest Farm, where the gardens were established, is classified as commercial forest and can only be developed with approval.

The company got approval related to 2.77 hectares of land in 2006 and the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Culture allowed the construction of the Heilongjiang Caoyuan Museum in 2009.

But 19.05 hectares were illegally used for the construction of the garden between 2006 and 2018 without the necessary approval, and the company also allegedly illegally removed 1,416 cubic meters of timber during that period.