BJ to Relocate 15,000 Residents to Develop Ming Tombs Tourism

The urbanization of Beijing's outlying areas continues at a frenzied pace as the city considers a proposal to further develop the Ming Tombs as a tourist destination.

Fifteen thousand residents from 16 villages will be moved in order to construct a 10.5sqm commercialized area to accommodate tourists consisting of a stage, a "life experience" area, and an old-fashioned laozihao street.

The plans also call for 87sqm of the area around the Ming Tombs to be repurposed as a scenic area.

Changping district chief Zhang Pingyou said the proposal would take the needs of local people into consideration.

"After comprehensive research, the authority plans to build a community outside of the relics area for the local residents, which will ensure their livelihood," said Zhang.

An unnamed insider quoted by China Daily assured that locals will be looked after.

"The government has been considering settling them by providing both a place to live and a job," the source said. "Many of those people are descendants of the ones who guarded the Ming Tombs, so they have a tight connection with the tombs.

"It's not a good idea to simply cut those connections, so the government will develop the tourism industry near the relics and offer job opportunities such as bus drivers, guides, salespersons, and even temporary actors for the historical shows."

Located over 30 kilometers north of Beijing near the end of the Changping (CP) Line, the Ming Tombs is a popular tourist destination that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Three of the 13 mausoleums hosting the Ming Dynasty kings have been opened to the public with the other 10 expected to open sometime in the future.

The proposal to develop the Ming Tombs follows an earlier announcement in which Beijing said it was going to fix another cultural area north of the city.

Repairs are planned for the Jiankou section of the Great Wall of China located between Mutianyu and Badaling, which have been well-developed into tourist destinations.

Meanwhile, surrounding rural areas of Beijing have continued to see rapid development.

Ten villages were destroyed in 2015 to make way for the new Beijing airport south of the city, expected to be the world's largest once it opens. Likewise, Beijing hopes to combat its overpopulation by creating a brand-new satellite city south of Beijing in what used to be a rural area. And to facilitate this growth along with the groundwork for the future megacity, local authorities have constructed a 900-kilometer-long Seventh Ring Road so large that 90 percent of it isn't even located within Beijing city limits.

Aside from the impact upon local villagers, the continued urbanization of Beijing and its suburbs have led to persistent problems like the second-worst commute in China and a reliance upon imported food supplies instead of local farms.

Images: TripHistoric.com, Beijing holidays (beijingholiday.com)

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