Chinese energy experts say that many lighting projects in major cities are a complete waste of energy, especially when the country is desperate to save electricity.

According to a data from Shanghai, when all the lighting projects are switched on, the electricity demand amounts to a staggering 200,000 kilowatts.

It is equivalent to 2 percent of the city's total power generating capacity and equal to the electricity that the Three Gorges Power Plant contributes to Shanghai at the moment.

Many city streets in China seem to have hardly a tree, bush or blade of grass that is not brightly lit up at night with powerful colored lights and miles of purely decorative spherical white lamps. (Photo Source: xinhua) 

(CRI June 12, 2004)