Of Great Urgency to See All Old Famous Historical Cultural Cities Be Protected in China 　　 Grueling "city reconstruction" has been carried out in great intensity in recent years that has led to a wrong, different, and an incongruous or repulsive look by many famous old historical cultural cities, old streets and urban structures of historical interest in China. But these should have already been protected and a complete stop should have been put to the like "reconstruction" as an important urgent task put on agenda for the construction of a prosperous China and multiplying of the Chinese nation. 　　 At a meeting of the 2nd Plenary Session of National Historical Cultural Cities Experts Committee recently held, it has all been unanimously pointed out that it is the Chinese culture that has laid the basis for the founding of the Chinese nation. Urban cultures tell the specific characteristics representing the advances of historical course of the Chinese nation and this is as has been shown by the country's politics, economy, culture and science and technological information historically developed. To make no change of the specific characteristics of all old famous historical cultural cities and their old streets and traditional urban structures of old will further contribute to cultural advancement of the Chinese nation. 　　 Lessons should be drawn by China, according to Chinese experts, from its "city reconstruction" carried out in recent years. For improper "city reconstruction" many old famous historical cultural cities in China have been given a repulsive look. Typical is "city reconstruction" of those of old urban structures and streets in the old city proper of Zhoushan, as old grounds of great historical importance dating back to the Opium War period, put under protection at the provincial level in Zhejiang Province. It was in these streets that Xie Jin had his famous film "Opium War" produced in 1995. But through "city reconstruction", and against an incongruous look, Zhoushan has, as an old famous Chinese city, lost past luster. 　　 Meanwhile, people should be reminded of the fact that old famous historical cultural cities and their old streets and famous structures of historical interest as those of Zhoushan that have lost their identity from "city reconstruction" are too numerous to list, the Chinese experts warned. They said that old famous historical cultural cities, old streets and city structures of old, when should they be pulled down for "reconstruction", would be deprived of all of their historical importance. According to the experts, for "city reconstruction" no specific characteristics of all those of old should not be sacrificed. No economic advances should be sought at the expense of our cultural assets from history. The view that history has to make new advances and there is no need to hang on to the outmoded for speeding up modernization construction should be thoroughly cast away. No time should be lost to put all old famous historical cultural cities under state protection, they urged. Famous scholar Liang Sicheng says: "For an old Oriental nation, when should it be deprived of its specific artistic characteristics in city construction, it would be meant its decline and downfall in culture." 　　 History is a long process of continuous development. Famous old historical cultural cities and their old streets and structures of historical interest are nothing in the way to be renewable. Shortsightedness and seeking for immediate interest should be all avoided in city construction. As ours is a nation on the way to speed up modernization construction, we should not do anything unworthy of heirs of our ancestors and disappoint our posterity by today's "city reconstruction". This is a warning from our experts in China. Opinion 1999-07-14 Page5 Full Story in Chinese