Space and Culture

NY Times: Olympic Construction Unearths Ancient Treasure Trove

“Building the new China usually entails digging up the old China. Construction zones across the country are uncovering so many antiquities that it might be considered a golden era for archaeology — except that sites and antiquities are often simply demolished by bulldozers or looted.

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The Olympic site seems to be an example of how China’s antiquities protection system should work. Construction supervisors and archaeologists have collaborated for four years, conducting excavations and restoring three Taoist temples — including one near the National Stadium, the main Olympic venue, that undoubtedly will become a familiar sight to television viewers during the summer Games.

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Beijing itself is a microcosm of the tension between new and old. Almost the entire ancient city has been destroyed during the past six decades, a process accelerated in recent years as developers and city officials have rushed to prepare the city for the Olympics. Entire neighborhoods of ancient lanes and courtyard houses have been flattened as developers have raced to finish projects before the Games.”