Authorities in the capital of Shaanxi Province, northwest China, have pledged financial aid to rescue the Town God's Temple, a group of buildings with a history of 560 years in Xi'an's Lianhu District.

The local government has earmarked 600 million yuan (72.3 million US dollars) to preserve the temple and develop properties in the vicinity in the same architectural style.

In ancient Chinese society, a temple was built to worship the god of each town, to whom people prayed for the residents' safety and happiness. Such temples were more secular than religious, as they were often used for social occasions and staging fairs, at which traders and craftsmen gathered.

Built in 1433 and embracing a main hall decorated with exquisite carvings and a magnificent theater, the Town God's Temple in Xi'an was listed as a national preservation priority in 2001.

However, the ancient buildings have long been occupied by smallbusiness warehouses and a department store, which are believed to pose a danger to the site of historical interest and to the reputation of Xi'an, which boasts many tourist attractions.

Experts maintain that it is imperative to move peddlers out of the temple as soon as possible.

According to local government officials, the temple preservation project is high on the municipal development agenda of Xi'an.

A city internationally famous for its tourist attractions, including the Terra-cotta Warriors, Xi'an has 314 historical siteslisted as preservation priorities and more than 120,000 unearthed relics.

( People's Daily September 11, 2002)