Shijingshan, Mentougou among districts in line for a major overhaul

The revitalization of Beijing's overlooked west side is likely to involve more than 80 projects and an expenditure of 200 billion yuan, planners revealed on Tuesday.

A man passes by a bicycle-congested sidewalk, with its special lane for the blind, next to Xinzhongjie Road in Dongcheng district. [Photo / China Daily]

The overhaul of the area, which includes Shijingshan, Mentougou and part of the Fengtai and Fangshan districts, was outlined at the Beijing International Forum on the Revitalization of the Western Area.

Zhang Gong, director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, said the development of the west side will take place in two stages between 2011 and 2020.

"Investment from the Beijing municipal government in this area doubled in 2009 compared to 2006," he said. "In the future, municipal-level capital will continue to favor the western region."

The area covers almost 3,000 square kilometers, occupies 18 percent of the city's total footprint and is home to 8 percent of its population.

Contracts worth more than 100 billion yuan were signed at the forum, including one for a 12-billion-yuan project in Mentougou district.

"The project is an urban complex with a seven-star hotel, luxury apartments, convention centers and shopping malls that will cover 28 hectares at the west end of Chang'an Avenue," said Li Shichun, deputy director of the Development and Reform Commission for Mentougou district.

Li said the project will be completed in 2013.

In addition, a 20-billion-yuan project named "China-Switzerland Eco Valley" will be launched in the district at the end of next year. It will feature such things as resorts, sports centers and international apartments for retired people.

"We have introduced the idea of enjoying retired life as they do in Switzerland," said Yao Xudong, director of the project, from Beijing J.M. Group, which is the development's investor.

When the valley is finished, it will provide 8,000 elite suites that can house more than 20,000 people, Yao said.

Other districts in the western regions also have grand schemes in the pipeline.

Construction of the largest Outlets Shopping Center in North China has already started in Fangshan district, said Qi Hong, administrative head of Fangshan district.

Zhou Maofei, administrative head of Shijingshan district, said his area is planning to create a tourist location named Tiantai Mountain, which will cover more than 2,000 hectares, almost 25 percent of the total area of Shijingshan.

Fengtai district will be focusing more on the development of high-tech services and also has plans to host the 2013 China International Garden and Flower Exposition and the 2014 World Seed Conference, said Cui Peng, administrative head of Fengtai district.

Li Shichun said the development of western Beijing, especially Mentougou district, had fallen behind other urban districts in recent years. In 2008, the governments of the four districts submitted a joint proposal that included schemes to revitalize the region, a document that led to the projects being planned today.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/13/2010)