Sports/Olympics / 2008 Beijing Olympics

Polluting district uses recreation to go green
(BOCOG)
Updated: 2006-05-31 09:03

Beijing's Shijingshan District, once considered a major polluting area in the city, yesterday officially announced it is building itself into a capital recreation district (CRD).

The district, 30 kilometres west of Beijing's central business district (CBD), took hold of this "green development opportunity" when it was announced Shougang Group would be relocated out of the area, said Bejing Vice-Mayor Zhang Mao at yesterday's summit on the recreation economy and creation industry in the capital.

The central government has decided to move Beijing's largest enterprise Shougang, also known as Capital Iron and Steel Group, from Shijingshan to Caofeidian Port in Hebei Province by 2010.

The district has already started projects at the 8-square-kilometre site previously occupied by Shougang, such as an international sports and restaurant square, an indoor water recreation centre, a large shopping mall, a villa and residential park, an international statue park and an exhibition and event zone.

"The industrial shift not only fits orientation of the Chinese capital but also can offer more job opportunities for those workers laid off by the relocation of the company," said Wang Qinghai, general manager of Shougang at yesterday's summit.
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