Protection project brings old town back to life

Renovation, rejuvenation

The project is a microcosm of Chongqing's efforts to preserve cultural relics in the follow-up work for the Three Gorges Reservoir. The work officially started in 2011, and thanks to the fund, the old town, along with many other cultural relics and traditional villages, has been not only been better protected, but rejuvenated.

According to the Chongqing Department of Water Resources, 977 million yuan ($136.5 million) was invested in 182 projects to protect cultural relics across the city from 2011 to July this year.

The city has built a Three Gorges-themed museum complex, comprising 17 facilities, to comprehensively demonstrate the Yangtze River civilization and the Three Gorges culture, the department said.

Wang said the poor infrastructure in Zhongxian's old town used to cause many problems. There were occasional power outages and the roads were full of bumps and hollows, which meant that children, and even adults, often fell over while walking around the area.

She added that the old water supply facilities meant residents only had access to poor-quality drinking water.

Things have changed, though. "Now, the old town has been significantly transformed," Wang said with a smile.