QINGDAO legislators recently wrote into law measures to protect historical relics.

    The Qingdao Urban and Rural Planning and Administration Regulations, introduced Dec. 24, 2010, included an independent clause protecting historical relics.

    “The legislation is significant in protecting Qingdao as a historical city,” said Jiang Longqiang, a member of the standing committee of Qingdao Municipal People’s Congress.

    In 2009 and 2010, a total of 3,622 city sites were defined as historical relics by the city government. There are 18 historical and cultural communities, 2,174 historical buildings, 16 industrial heritages, and 1,261 natural sites.

    A campaign was also conducted to get rid of illegal buildings and illegal outdoor advertisements in protected areas.

    The city passed a plan to protect historical relics in October last year.

    The plan, compiled by Qingdao Municipal Planning Institute and Tongji University, offers detailed guidelines to protect and utilize historical relics.

    (Chen Ting, Yu Feng)