Ancestors Temple renewed
The 500-year-old Ancestors Temple, to the east of the Forbidden City, has begun maintenance construction since early August, The Beijing News reported. Not all the glazed tiles will be replaced with new ones, so as to maintain its original flavour, according to Kong Fanzhi, head of the Beijing Culture Relics Bureau. The bureau has poured in 15 million yuan (US$1.88 million) in the whole repair project. It is the largest maintaining project on the temple since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Projects include adding more colours to the faded murals on the walls and painting a layer of organic-silicon material on the white-marble corridor banisters, to prevent them from decaying due to water and wind erosion.

Knock-off rebound

The Silk Street Market has launched a series of measures to protect its fame, the Beijing Daily reported. In the past seven months, the Silk Street Market has been ordered to pay 100,000 yuan (US$12,500) in compensation for its trademark rights infringements. The market has kicked out sellers who deal fake goods, and lowered rents for top Chinese traditional brands, such as silk producer Ruifuxiang, hat maker Shengxifu and shoemaker Neiliansheng. These brands get a 10-30 per cent discount on rent tolls. The market operators have also contacted international brands such as Apple and Nike to reach agreements on co-operation and intellectual rights protection.

Rare antiques show

The Ninth Chinese Antique and Works of Arts Fair will be held on August 19-22 at Beijing Antique City. It claims to be China's largest-scale fair on antiques in recent years, and has attracted 200 exhibitors, as well as collectors and art dealers from Denmark, Mongolia, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. A dozen antique dealing companies from China's Hong Kong and Taiwan are also scheduled to come.

New items include Tibetan Buddhism statutes, Thangka pieces, Chinese paintings and calligraphy, old furniture and relics from Southeast Asia. According to organizers, some of the exhibits are rare and precious, including a cricket jar used by the emperors, and a pen container painted with beautiful patterns, owned by Yongzheng Emperor in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Colour guides

To help people get a better idea of subway routes, all the signposts at subway station stops have been painted with different colours in line with different routes since early this month, the Beijing Morning Post reported. The three subway lines are distinguished with various colours to notify subway takers Line 1 (and its subsidiary Batong Line) are painted with the blue colour, Line 2 with red, and Line 13 with orange.

Dirty tap water reports

The recent continuous rain has affected the quality of household tap water in some areas. In one hour on August 3, 30 citizens called the Hygiene Supervision Department of Beijing Hygiene Bureau to complain about dirty faucet water at home, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

Water contamination cases were mainly reported from areas struck with heavy rain, such as Haidian, Chaoyang and Changping districts. Residents who find their running water abnormal can report to the hygiene supervision by phone at 6506-6969. It is said that relevant staff will go and check the tap water in the reported area, if two cases are reported in the same neighbourhood.

Friendlies and flowers

An Olympic flower exhibition kicked off on August 6 at Haidian Park, where some 500,000 pots of flowers were presented in shapes of Olympic rings, the five Friendlies mascots and other artistic patterns, the Beijing Youth News reported. A total of 350 kinds of flowers are being displayed, 70 per cent of which are of native species in China. The flower exhibition is on for two months until late September. Visitors to the park will be given free pots of flowers, and asked to point out their favourite flowers in "My Favourite Olympic Flowers" selection, an event to choose various flowers to decorate Beijing streets during the 2006 Beijing Olympics.

Walking under water

Construction of the Underwater Corridor of the National Grand Theatre of China next to the Great Hall of the People has begun this month, The Beijing News reported. The Northern Underwater Corridor of the egg-shaped theatre, will be linked with the subway at the Tian'anmen West stop. When completed, audiences will walk away from the theatre via the corridor to arrive at the subway station in less than one minute.

The tunnel is to be arched with a transparent ceiling made up of glass pieces that are 7 millimetres thick and weigh about 520 kilograms. The glass will be installed and tested through waterproof procedures four times.