The local government of a 1,000-year-old canal town located on the outskirts of Shanghai is planning to restore its water ecology, aiming to develop the area into a tourism attraction in time for the 2010 World Expo.

Xinchang Town in Nanhui District has constructed five floodgates to help water in small creeks circulate into tributaries of the Huangpu River.

"We hope to develop our township into a major sightseeing canal town before the 2010 World Expo is held," said Shen Shenyuan, an official with government-backed Shanghai Xinchang Ancient Township Development Company.

Cleaning up the town's rivers and creeks is a key part of the conservation project, as water symbolizes vitality, he said.

So far, the company has invested more than 20 million yuan (US$2.47 million) in a single water pollution treatment project - part of the district's more than 4 billion yuan budget to restore the township into a tourist attraction over the next 5 years, officials said.

There are 4 kilometers of waterways zigzagging through the township to form the Chinese character "Jing" which means "well" in English.

However, all these waterways are dead, causing pollution to accumulate within the canals.

"The five floodgates opened the doors for the township on the water," Shen said.

Water treatment

He said water pumps allow water in the canals to flow between the Dazhi River in the south and the Huixin River in the north.

Both rivers are branches of the Huangpu River.

Meanwhile, the development company will dredge the bottom of canals to clean up pollution.

Located about a 30-minute drive from downtown, Xinchang Town is hailed as one of the city's few ancient canal towns that hasn't been affected by industrial development.

A typical symbol of the town is its extensively constructed old fishing village homes, which many fishermen and their families still live in.

Additionally, there are around 35 ancient bridges in the town, most of which are still in use by local residents.

Township officials acknowledged they will adopt a strict conservation policy while developing the town into a tourist attraction.

Editor: Wing