New town plan advances in Beijing

Demolition of old houses in Beijing's Tongzhou District has been completed in preparation for construction of a new subsidiary administrative center.

"A new town in Tongzhou district will be built in the future, with convenient access to transportation and complete entertainment and educational facilities," said Guo Baofeng, director of the Tongzhou branch office of the city's commission of urban planning. "More construction projects will be launched as detailed plans come up."

Located in northwestern part of the district, the new town is expected to cover 155 square kilometers. New construction sites will cover 80 square kilometers, which is equivalent to that of the old downtowns in Beijing, according to the commission.

The central business district in the new town, being both the financial district and the premier shopping area, will be built at the intersection of the Beijing and Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Up to 7 km of underground roads are expected to ease traffic congestion on a large scale, while the Batong Line, a surface-level rapid transit rail line, will connect the downtown with the district.

Some things are already in progress. Construction of Beijing's Universal Studios theme park kicked off on Nov 5, with completion expected by 2020.

The whole project - a combinaton park and resort — will cover an area of 4 square kilometers, according to the commission.

The municipal government decided to relocate its administrative bodies from the downtown area to Tongzhou district, with aim of improving public services and drawing people out of overcrowded areas.

Most city agencies will be affected by the relocations, which got underway this year and should be finished by 2017, Xinhua News Agency reported.