With a rich diversity of historical sites as one of the prominent ancient towns in northern China, Zhengding in Hebei province will make every effort to protect its cultural legacy, said local officials.

Founded in 770 BC as Xianyu, its name was changed to Zhengding in 1723 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Along with Beijing and Baoding, it was one of the most important political, military, economic and cultural centers of northern China for 1,500 years.

"The splendid history is a name card for Zhengding, which requires the county to protect ancient buildings and boost our traditional culture," said local officials.

"The long history has left numerous cultural relics and historic sites."

Among them are 38 buildings dating back to the Sui (AD 581-618) and Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties.

Zhengding has been a vital religious center for more than 1,400 years.

It is home to several major schools of Zen Buddhism.

One of its major temples is Longxing Monastery whose buildings have been preserved almost intact.

It is home to a world-renowned bronze statue of Bodhisattva Guanyin, also known as Avalokitesvara.

The bell tower at Kaiyuan Temple is the only one from the TangDynasty still standing.

Four famous pagodas, each with its own architectural style, are must-see destinations for tourists.

The local government has issued a series of measures to restore damaged buildings in a bid to preserve the county as a famous culture center in China.

Zhengding has been a business center for centuries due to its location on the traffic routes in northern China.

In 2012, its GDP totaled 22.5 billion yuan ($3.68 billion), an increase of 9 percent.

The figure reached 10.6 billion yuan in the first half of this year, making it an economic heavyweight among all counties in the province.

For seven consecutive years, the annual Green Book on small and medium-sized cities from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has listed Zhengding as one of the top 100 locales with the greatest investment potential.

To further boost economy, the local government has invested more than 80 million yuan ($13.11 billion) in constructing four major roads and bus routes extending to Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei.

The government also plans to increase spending on social welfares, especially for the residents living in rural areas of the county.

The government has invested 435 million yuan in 25 major social welfare programs for public housing, employment, education and medical care.

zhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn

Now called Zhengding county, in ancient times it was named Xianyu and was one of the most important towns in northern China. It still has buildings dating back to the Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618).

(China Daily USA 10/18/2013 page20)