Relic site neglected

Near the West Second Ring in Xicheng district, 20 buildings have sat in a dilapidated state for 23 years due to problems with land transfer. The wasteland includes the Site of the Taiye Pond of the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), constructed in 1153, the Beijing News reported.

Built in the imperial palace of Jin, the pond was listed in 1984 as a historical cultural relic that required protection.

Li Jianpin, a research fellow at the Institute of Beijing History, said that the authorities should have emphasized protecting the Taiye Pond, just like the cultural heritage sites in the Summer Palace.