Beijing land required to get heritage checks

Land reserved for sale in Beijing must get approval from local heritage authorities before it can be auctioned off and built on in order to protect buried relics, Beijing Youth Daily reported Tuesday.

The rule on relic protection, the first of its kind in Beijing, will come into effect March 1, 2014.

According to the rules, land reservation agencies are required to file with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Heritage for archaeological research for any lots of land larger than 10,000 square meters located in downtown Beijing, where the city's ancient part was located (an area of about 62 square kilometers circled by the Second Ring Road), or land exceeding 20,000 square meters outside the ancient city.

After the field research is completed, the bureau will rule on whether the piece of land can be sold on the market, which is a premise for the land auction.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Heritage was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

For land that has not yet been scrutinized by the heritage protector, construction companies must file a request for the archaeological study before work is started.

Violators will be subject to fines of up to 30,000 yuan ($4,918), or even criminal charges if crime is involved. The administrative punishment will also be registered on the enterprise's credit record.

According to the rule, all buried relics found belong to the State, and all organizations and individuals are obliged to protect relics. Individuals who participate in relic protection will be rewarded.