China is going to invest 220 million yuan (US$26.5 million) to expand the Genghis Khan Temple in Ulan Hot, a city in the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the only temple in the world which commemorates the hero in China's history.
Wu Yingjie, curator of the Genghis Khan Temple, said the Hong Kong-based World Chinese Advancement Association would provide the funds for the expansion project, in accordance with a recently-signed agreement between the Ulan Hot city government and the association.
Genghis Khan (1167-1227) was born into an aristocratic family near the Onon River in Mongolia. In 1206, he unified the Mongol tribes and became the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He was later conferred with the title of "Genghis Khan", meaning "universal ruler" by the supreme assembly. One of his grandsons, Kublai, later became the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) in the Chinese history.
Constructed in 1940, the Genghis Khan Temple features architectural styles of the Mongolian, Han and Tibetan nationalities.
As a relic site under regional-level protection, the temple attracts more than 200,000 tourists annually from both home and abroad.
According to the expansion plan, a dozen scenic spots, including a palace, an altar and an exhibition hall, will be constructed.
The expansion project is expected to be completed in three to five years.
(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2002)
