The New Dominion

Image by DPerstin

This is a translation of a Mandarin article posted on Tian Shan Net on March 23rd about the expansion of the pilot program in the Kashgar Old City Reconstruction Project.

In 2010, the Comprehensive Management Project for the Reconstruction of Dangerous and Old Residences in Kashgar’s Old City (喀什老城区危旧房改造综合治理工程), with a total investment of over 700 million RMB, is to enter into a period of expansion. Use of “Coordinated Demolition and Coordinated Building,” “Voluntary Demolition and Coordinated Building,” and other themed methods initially implemented as part of a 2009 pilot project in five neighborhoods will be significantly broadened.

On 22 March, reporters learned from the Kashgar Municipal Government that among the various issues and difficulties of the Kashgar Reconstruction Project in the heart of Kashgar’s Old City, the biggest difficulty encountered so far is determining the best way to simultaneously ensure the earthquake safety of the good people of Kashgar and the preservation of their historical and culturally renowned city, while also striving to improve the livelihood and environment of the residents.

“Through the pilot project we’ve discovered that the ‘Voluntary Demolition and Coordinated Building’ method of reconstruction solves the problem of both rebuilding dangerous residences while protecting the historically and culturally renowned city, and so we can effectively guarantee the quality of the project and the construction timeline” said Shi Shixiong, head of the Headquarters Office of the Kashgar Reconstruction Project. Shi also added, “The residents can use the material from their old houses to raise enough funds to meet their primary needs, investment from the project is also available  in reasonable amounts. It is more important that the project receives the universal endorsement of the residents, as well as a high evaluation by UNESCO, while also providing the ‘Kashgar Experience’ to the world.” On the basis of the will of the residents, Shi plans to broaden these kinds of methods this year.

After the Kashgar Reconstruction Project began in February of last year, the project has used “Coordinated Demolition and Coordinated Building of Multi-level Buildings” (demolish and then rebuild), “Voluntary Demolition and Coordinated Building,” Protect, Preserve and other pilot designations for old or dangerous buildings.

In Kashgar’s Old City, by the end of last year, a total 4817 households totaling 399.7 thousand square meters were demolished, 8623 households totaling 600.6 thousand square meters were rebuilt, 3434 families were relocated to new houses or returned to rebuilt houses, and 522 families were given compensation money for their own relocation. Altogether 73.7 million RMB were invested that year.

According to Shi Shixiong, this year the project has already relocated 323 households and has exchanged 438 apartments. This year’s reconstruction itinerary has not yet begun, and currently planning is underway for the construction of homes for residences. The project anticipates completing the renovation of 1.27 million square meters, finding homes for 10799 households, and building 920 apartments totaling 41.5 thousand square meters to meet the needs of relocating residences, at the same time completing the accompanying infrastructure for all the related neighborhoods. For this year’s reconstruction and relocation an anticipated total of 150.87 million RMB is to be invested in the project.

Hat tip to Amy Reger and Henryk Szadziewski of the Uyghur Human Rights Project who not only called attention to this article through their Twitter accounts but also later wrote insightful analysis and criticism of the Kashgar’s Reconstruction Project at the Asia Sentinel (Who Decides Kashgar’s Future?) and openDemocracy (Kashgar’s Old City: A Landscape of Loss), respectively. Both these articles are required reading for anyone seeking a context to the flurry of construction that has taken over the fabled city and a counterbalance to the conspicuously and exceptionally adulatory content produced by domestic publications.

As usual, I’m open to any comments or criticisms Mandarin speakers may have for my probably shoddy translation.