About 20 quarries in Hengshan Mountain, in Hunan Province of central China, were closed down this week in a bid to protect the ecological and scenic environment.
Hengshan Mountain is one of the five most well-known scenic mountains in China.
Under a regulation by the Nanyue district government of Hengyang City, mining of mineral resources will be banned in an area of 207.3 square kilometers around the mountain, starting on April 1.
At the same time, all stone materials processing plants operating in Nanyue will be banned from using locally-produced stones, said an official.
Officials from the departments of land resources, forestry, public security bureau and concerned towns and villages are monitoring the implementation of the regulation.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)
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