According to the Yangtze Evening News, Huai'an, a city in Jiangsu Province located on the geographical line that separates the south and north of China, started building a garden this month as a symbol of the geographical boundary. The Public Facility Bureau of Huai'an revealed that the symbol will be a sphere.

The visualization of the sphere that separates the south and north

The Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River is regarded as the natural boundary of the south and north of China, as agreed by domestic geography and climate experts. Huai'an City is traversed by the Huaihe River, has a long-standing relationship with the river, and is one of the few cities on the river with lengthy historical traditions.

Last year, when Huai'an started planning to build the garden, Xinyang City in Henan Province raised concerns, believing that Xinyang itself, as a more representative city, would be more suitable for the location of the symbol. Yao Shimou, Professor and Doctorial Tutor in the Nanjing Geography Study Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, on the other hand, said that Huai'an is a more typical area and better presents the difference between south and north in the eastern part of China. He said the geographical differences between south and north could not be wholly represented by a single province, region or city because the transition is gradual. Various factors such as culture, tradition, history, geography, and climate should be all considered, as well as the condition of the cities. Taking all factors into account, Professor Yao thought it would be better to choose Huai'an as the location for the symbol.

The symbol will be part of a historical heritage, the old pier, which was completed in the 1930s and has borne witness to the subsequent history of Huai'an. The pier is now known as the Red Bridge and is being renovated. To build the symbol on the bridge would definitely enrich the culture of the city.

The symbol, a sphere, will be in the middle of the Red Bridge, and also in the center of the river. The northern hemisphere will be in a gradient of cool color tones, the south in warm colors, indicating the difference in climate between south and north. People can walk through the sphere and visually experience the change of climate zones.

According to a survey by the Sina Website, 90% of 24,096 voters are opposed to building the boundary symbol as they think it will waste money and create a barrier between south and north.

(China.org.cn by Hou Xiaoying August 28, 2008)