A new project is being funded by the central government to shore up and protect the Yan'an Pagoda, a prominent Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) historical relic and symbol of the Chinese revolution.

The central government approved 35.8 million yuan (US$4.31 million) to protect the structure, which is tilting as a result of frequent landslides in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

"We will soon start the project with the investment from the central government, thoroughly controlling landslides and other geological disasters on Mount Pagoda," said Zhao Suijin, director of the Mount Pagoda Management Office.

Built during the Tang dynasty, the 44-meter-high octagonal pagoda is under national-level protection. It is considered a major historical and cultural site.

Mount Pagoda is located in the city of Yan'an, some 400 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Xi'an. Between 1935 and 1947, Yan'an, under the command of Chairman Mao Zedong, was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party and a base of the revolution. It became a mecca for revolutionaries then and remains a popular tourist destination today.

The ancient nine-story pagoda has tilted more than 30 centimeters northwestward, according to a survey done in 2000, and is threatened by further landslides and other geological factors.

At the time the survey was conducted, the city developed a protection plan. However, it lacked the money to put the plan into action.

The rehabilitation will be carried out in two phases. The first entails consolidation of the mountain with pilings; in the second, concrete barriers will be built to control landslides, said Zhao.

"Wars throughout history, irresponsible action by nearby villagers and nature have together led to soil erosion on the mountain. The soil erosion and the destruction of vegetation are the major cause of the landslides," Zhao said.

Some 300 households must move out of the mountain area so that the work can be completed. The local Yan'an government has allocated 8.2 million yuan (US$987,000) to move the households and prepare for the project.

(China Daily June 22, 2004)