[File photo]

Authorities in Yueyang, Hunan province have denied accusations that the local government sold ownership and supervisory rights of a local landmark, stressing that the these rights have always belonged to the government.

The official announcement, which was published by the Yueyang People’s Government on Nov. 17, has reassured the public that the government does not intend to sell Yueyang Tower, one of China's most famous historic architectural sites. According to the announcement, the local government has simply contacted 19 enterprises to transfer the tower’s management, in an effort to promote tourism.

“Currently, rigid management and a lack of investment have severely hindered the development of tourism in Yueyang. [Local authorities] need to attract more investors to promote tourism, as well as to transform and upgrade the management of [local tourism resources]. No agreement on the transfer of Yueyang Tower’s management rights has been made ... so far. The ownership and supervisory rights of the tower will always belong to the government,” read the announcement.

The statement was released after a netizen posted a thread on Sina Weibo on Nov. 16, accusing Yueyang's government of selling Yueyang Tower to a private company. Though the post has since been deleted, the news elicited a mixed reaction from the public, with some supporting the government’s plan and others calling it “an illegal move that may damage the cultural relic.”

As one of three great towers south of the Yangtze River, Yueyang Tower is famous partly due to its literary associations with Fan Zhongyan, a renowned poet from the Song Dynasty who immortalized the tower in verse. It is recognized by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage as a major historical and cultural landmark, protected at the national level.

According to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, no immovable cultural relics owned by the state may be transferred or mortgaged. Neither may any state-owned relics that operate as tourist sites be used as for-profit assets by a private business.