Hotels, villa and all kinds of recreational centers should not be built around major scenic spots, said Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan at a meeting Friday in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Facilities that may cause environmental pollution or add commercial flavor to the spots are strictly forbidden to be built near the scenic spots, said Zeng at a national work meeting on scenic spots protection.

The vice premier said local authorities should watch out for felling of trees, hunting and mining near scenic spots, to minimize the negative effect of human behaviors on the environment.

According to the meeting, China will soon issue a regulation on scenic spots protection.

China has 187 state-level scenic spots, covering 96,000 square meters or one percent of the nation's land area. China has another 400 provincial-level scenic spots.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2006)