(xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-17 15:25

A cluster of government-funded modern art galleries, the first time the Chinese government has invested in such a project, are to be built near a world cultural heritage site in Sichuan Province.

The galleries will be located near Qingcheng Mountain, one of two world heritage sites in the popular tourist spot of Dujiangyan, and are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008.

Eight leading Chinese artists will each run one gallery, named after the resident artist and covering a floor space of 1,000 square meters, and the art will include modern oil paintings, installations and sculptures.

The local government will provide more than seven hectares of land for the project and a real estate company will invest 100 million yuan (US$13.15 million) in the construction.

"In addition to the galleries, one central art museum and an art study center will also be built to hold seminars," said the project planner Lu Peng, a professor at the China Academy of Art.

Lu said the government would also provide funds for the operation of a central art museum without revealing the exact figures.

"Except the central art museum, all the galleries will run by the artists themselves," Lu said.

Japanese architects have designed the galleries as a series of grey cubic buildings with concise contours, which Lu says, will be "well-integrated into the natural environment".

A global bidding process will begin in late October to finalize the construction design.

Liu Junlin, the secretary of the municipal party committee, was clear about the purpose of the project.

"The government hopes this project can attract more tourists," he said.

Liu was vague when asked if some of the more controversial art pieces in the galleries would need official approval.

"There are no restrictions on what kind of art will be on display but we will stress our administration," he said.

Yue Mingjun, one of the artists participating in the program, said he welcomed the government's support. "As far as I know, there are hardly any restrictions on the art itself and this is a good chance to establish a national modern art research base, which we have been eager to do for years," he said.

Dujiangyan city, is a tourism city named after Dujiangyan irrigation system, one of the two world cultural heritages in the city. The ancient irrigation system, built in the third century BC, is still in use today. Tourism is the main source of local revenue.