Determined endeavors have been made in recent years to protect Shanghai's many historical features, a senior official of the city said Thursday.

Mao Jiaju, director of the Shanghai Urban Planning Administration, said that both the municipal government and local citizens shared the view that urban development meant not only exploitation but also protection during the city's modernization process. 

He introduced four initiatives which had been implemented to protect the city's historical and cultural characteristics since 1986 when the central government awarded Shanghai renowned historical status. 

The first step was to map out the areas to be protected. In 2003 a dozen locations, covering 27 square kilometers in urban districts, were defined as historical and cultural areas of interest. 

Anther 32 locations, covering approximately 14 square kilometers, were added to the protected list in 2005.

Shanghai has also decided that four historical and cultural towns -- Jading, Nanxiang, Zhujiajiao and Songjiang -- should come under national level protection.

As a second step, the municipal government decided that protected areas be safeguarded by legislation. In 1991 the municipal government issued Administrative Regulation for Preserving Excellent Modern Architecture in Shanghai. This was the first local legislative enactment of a law relating to the protection of architecture in China.

Regulations on Protecting Areas with Historical and Cultural Flavor and Excellent Historical Architecture in Shanghai were also passed by Shanghai People's Congress in 2002.

Agreement has also been reached on a third move to protect the historical and cultural areas in the city. 

Protection planning of historical and cultural areas includes specific preservation planning and urban design. A regular expert deliberation system has also been adopted for the management of protected areas.

And fourthly, the actual protection mechanisms themselves will be gradually improved.

To this end a committee is now in place to coordinate the policies, management and funds for protection initiatives. 

And different activities are to be organized to gradually enhance the historical and cultural protection awareness of the entire city.

Mao said more ways will be explored to achieve the effectiveness of historical and cultural protection.

He added that an administrative regulation had also been put in place by the municipal government to safeguard old roads in the city.

(China.org.cn by Unisumoon, May 12, 2006)