Historic heart of Liaocheng to be demolished

Two web surfers recently reacted on Weibo and Sina Blog’s social forums to the planned and now almost completed destruction of Liaocheng’s old center (聊城), in Shandong province.

This major city situated on the Grand Canal’s path, serving as an imperial relay and whose commercial activity depended largely on the waterway, was shaped in a perfect square, spreading out into a dense network of streets linking houses with courtyards. It was surrounded by a vast lake, and had more than two perpendicular axes and a Drum Tower as its historic center. The municipality is planning the reconstruction of an identical historical and cultural town.