Manhole covers spell trouble

Dashilan residents have called for nearly 100 manhole covers on local streets inscribed with incorrect Chinese characters to be replaced, claiming the gaffe tarnishes the ancient neighborhood's image.

An official with the Daishilan management committee, who requested anonymity, said that it had contacted the company responsible for the manhole covers to investigate the matter.

The phrases "qianlong jiashen" and "guiyue chongxiu," which respectively refer to reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735-96) and the blossoming period of osmanthus flowers, are incorrectly engraved in traditional Chinese characters as "qianlong jiazhong" and "guiri chongxiu."

The imperial-style manholes in Guanyinsi Jie, Xicheng district, were unveiled in 2009, although the spelling mistake was only reported by local media on Tuesday.

Lai Yang, a folklore expert, said "jiashen" and "guiyue" are terms most commonly associated with the lunar calendar. "Qianlong jiashen" refers to a period of 60 years, while "guiyue" refers to the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

"The inscriptions on the manhole covers are definitely wrong, but maybe those responsible for their construction can offer an explanation," Lai told the Global Times.

Dozens of people at Guanyinsi Jie, including tourists and local business owners, on Tuesday vented their annoyance at the blunder.

Meng Jie, who has run a shoe store on the street for 10 years, said she didn't notice the incorrect usage of the characters until she was alerted by this week's media reports.

"It's so shameful. How can they make such a mistake? They just made the manholes without even thinking," she told the Global Times.

Meng added the manhole covers were replaced four years ago to give Dashilan, one of Beijing's oldest neighborhoods, an imperial makeover.

Another store owner, Li Pan, said that the local government had been irresponsible not to identify the erroneous manholes before they were unveiled.

"The characters are difficult to notice because they are too small. Most people don't understand what the phrases mean, therefore can't tell that they are wrong," said Li.

A tourist from Taiwan, surnamed Chang, immediately identified the mistake when asked to look at the manhole by the Global Times.

"I know the manholes aim to have antique appeal, but it's hard to notice," Chang said.

The anonymous official did not set a deadline for when the manholes would be replaced, saying she has so far been unable to contact the local construction department responsible for the project.