Qianmen to unveil Ming-era look

时间：2007-10-06 00:33:11

（单词翻译:单击）

Oct. 5 - Pedestrians1 and free trolley2 buses are expected to lay exclusive claim to the new-look Qianmen area before the end of the year, when the extensive renovation3 work being done on the historic neighborhood should be complete.

 

The area's main street will be paved with green and white marble, replacing the narrow cement lane that currently serves as its central thoroughfare. When the work is finished, the area, south of Tian'anmen Square, is expected to evoke4 the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

 

Dozens of traditional shops, such as Quanjude, famous for its Beijing roast duck, and Yueshengzhai, which has been selling pickled beef and mutton for more than 230 years, are expected to return to the area.

 

Officials said the street will be for pedestrians only and serve as a showcase of Chinese culture.

 

Qianmen Street is expected to be lined with 300 shops, representing some 80,000 sq m of commercial space along a 845-m-long strip.

 

At least 20 percent of the commercial area will be devoted5 to traditional shops, Niu Qingshan, head of Chongwen District, said.

 

Tian Geng, a representative of Beijing Emperor's Avenue Real Estate Development Co, which is in charge of the renovation project, said at a recent forum6 in Beijing that more than 1,000 traditional shops had applied7 to do business on Qianmen Street. The company and the public will decide on which shops pass muster8.

 

Some international brands have also expressed interest in the area. "They can compete with the local ones for spaces not reserved for traditional shops," Niu said.

 

Qianmen has been a commercial center in Beijing for nearly seven centuries, boasting a wide range of shops selling everything from traditional medicines to fine silks.

 

The 300-million-yuan ($40 million) redevelopment project is part of the city's efforts to refurbish its old areas ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.

 

The redevelopment is being carried out according to photographs taken of Qianmen in the 1920s and 1930s, Wang Shiren, an architect, said.

 

"Qianmen Street, which was built during the Ming Dynasty, was destroyed by the allied9 forces of the eight foreign powers in 1900. What old Beijing residents are familiar with is the rebuilt version dating to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)," Wang said.

 

Another architect, Wang Shijie, said: "After the redevelopment, Qianmen Street, with its combination of Eastern and Western cultural styles, will become a hot spot for visitors from home and abroad."

 
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1 pedestrians c0776045ca3ae35c6910db3f53d111db     
n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 trolley YUjzG     
n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车
参考例句：
  • The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
  • In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。
3 renovation xVAxF     
n.革新，整修
参考例句：
  • The cinema will reopen next week after the renovation.电影院修缮后，将于下星期开业。
  • The building has undergone major renovation.这座大楼已进行大整修。
4 evoke NnDxB     
vt.唤起，引起，使人想起
参考例句：
  • These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
  • Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。
5 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
6 forum cilx0     
n.论坛，讨论会
参考例句：
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
7 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
8 muster i6czT     
v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册
参考例句：
  • Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
  • I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。
9 allied iLtys     
adj.协约国的；同盟国的
参考例句：
  • Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
  • Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

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