Public bids are being sought for the largest park in Beijing to give it a new aesthetic beauty to match the city's modern image.

Chaoyang Park, which means "rising sun," is looking for outside expertise for its general planning and design.

Five million yuan (US$604,000) will be allocated to bidders as a premium. It is the first time that a Chinese park has invited public bids at its own expense.

Five overseas design companies from the United States, Australia and the Republic of Korea, and four domestic units have lodged bids for the park's design.

The result will be announced in early September, and construction will begin soon after using a single design or a combination of the best designs, said Tian Jinxian, general manager of the park.

Officials hope the park will be developed into a centre for cultural interests and tourism within three years.

Li Guo, deputy director of Chaoyang district government, said the park would be a symbol of the capital city's environment and culture once work is completed.

Neighbouring the "Embassy Area" and Beijing Central Business District in eastern part of Beijing downtown, the park occupies an area of 280 hectares, with 70 per cent green land and 67 hectares of water area.

As a key project in the General Plan for Beijing approved by the State Council, the park began construction in 1984.

More than 2 billion yuan (US$241.5 million) has been spent on the park's construction and the relocation of residents and enterprises.

The Chinese capital, to host the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, has been spending heavily on urban gardening to fulfill its promises of a green Olympic.

( China Daily July 2, 2002)