On the February 9 Guangzhou Annual Urban Planning Summing-up Conference, Pan An, Director of Guangzhou Urban Planning Bureau stated that the research on the city's urban colors had produced preliminary results. At present, grayish yellow is the city's primary color, but the Bureau plans to consult the public to identity the most appropriate color for Guangzhou.

Architects tend to focus on individual buildings that they are working on, without much regard for the balance of colors with surrounding landscape; as a result, the city has become a hodgepodge of colors. Moreover, a lot of buildings use artificial colors in place of the natural colors of stones and woods. Consequently, the hues of the traditional culture have faded.

Mr. Pan said that his bureau has research the city's colors and identified a primary color for urban planners and builders. The color will help the city to present a unified image.

Urban color planning is a common practice in many Western countries, allowing cities to present a harmonious image. The practice is catching on in some Chinese cities, like Beijing and Nanjing.

It's reported that South Korea and Japan have laws governing the colors of urban buildings.

Mr. Pan said that the findings of the color research are intended only to facilitate technical services and will not be subject to compulsory enforcement, but recommendations will be offered for key areas and ultra-large buildings. He added that Guangzhou will shift to a unified color only when a consensus in this regard has been reached and there is no longer large-scale urban development in the city.

Editor: Yan