THE Dragon King Taoist Temple in northern China’s Shanxi Province is being restored.

    The temple dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) but is not entitled to government protection. Local businessperson Huang Wensheng claimed the right to manage the temple two years ago, invested more than 3 million yuan (US$ 483,000) in repairs and pays the salaries of the curators.

    Huang is not alone. Quwo, the ancient capital of Jin (1033-376 B.C.), is home to many pieces of crumbling historical architecture, damaged by a lack of government care. The situation is even worse at the provincial level. Shanxi is home to more than 28,000 places of historic interest, the majority of which are in jeopardy.

    In 2008, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage started protecting sites in southern Shanxi at a cost of 400 million yuan, but little known sites at city or county levels are beyond this budget.

    Quwo welcomes individuals or organizations who wish to care for local sites and are willing to sign 30-year management contracts with strict conditions.

    “In the last three years, we have attracted a huge amount of social capital, equal to government investment in the past 10 years,” said Sun Yonghe, former director of the county department of cultural heritage in Quwo.

    Six heritage sites in Quwo have been claimed by local entrepreneurs, all of which were in a bleak condition with decayed beams and cracked walls.

    Nongovernmental protection has no legal basis at the county level. Entrepreneurs are concerned that policies may change and their rights will be retracted.

    Repairs can’t be done randomly and there have been several failed attempts. For instance in Taiyuan, Shanxi’s capital, one site was turned into a luxurious restaurant, infuriating the public.

    The situation is worse in the countryside. In some cases, village committees pay local carpenters to repair buildings, as it costs much less than professionals. The results are pretty much what you would expect.

    The contract only gives management rights for 30 years, and some potential custodians hoping to convert the sites into tourist attractions worry about recouping their costs.

    “Although much has been done, we still need rules,” admitted Sun. “We are not really clear about the dos and don’ts, and as a result, people are really confused.”

    (Xinhua)