Scenic lighting in Shanghai won't be turned off again this summer, even if temperatures top 35 degrees Celsius, officials from the Shanghai Public Sanitation Bureau announced yesterday.

The city government had previously ordered the bureau to turn off the lights during hot days to save power. From July 5 to 15, the bureau shut off the lights four times. The government has decided that shutting down the lights hurts tourism more than it saves electricity.

"Turning off the lights won't save too much electric power," said Zheng Jingwen, director of Shanghai Outer Lighting and Advertising Center.

Scenic lights use a maximum of 30,000 kilowatts of electricity, accounting for 0.2 percent of the city's total power load, according to Zheng.

Considering Shanghai's international image, the government decided not to turn off the lights any more this summer.

"As an international city that attracts many domestic and overseas tourists as well as investors, the dark night will surely have some negative impact on the economy," Zheng said.

The city's normal daily supply capacity of electric power is between 15.33 and 15.37 million kilowatts, officials said.

(Shanghai Daily July 27, 2005)