Restaurant closed for breaking heritage regulations in Shanxi

n exclusive restaurant in north China's Shanxi province has been ordered to close, because it broke conservation laws. Wang Gong Guan restaurant was built inside a historic century-old building. But current conservation rules ban commercial businesses operating within sites of "cultural significance".

An exclusive restaurant in north China's Shanxi Province has been ordered to close, because it broke conservation laws. Wang Gong Guan restaurant was built inside a historic century-old building. But current conservation rules ban commercial businesses operating within sites of "cultural significance". A row has now broken out, with the restaurant owners saying the building was derelict before they moved in.and that it wasn't listed for protection at the time.

Here in a small alley in central Taiyuan is Wang Gong Guan. It used be the residence of an important military chief in the early part of the 20th century.

In 2009, the building was in a bad way. The Wang Gong Guan food company spent 34 million yuan turning it into a high end restaurant. The conversion was then backed by the local cultural relic protection department.

But two years later, the building was deemed as having cultural significance and listed for protection. The restaurant has now been forced to close, a move, it says, highly unfair.

"It's not fair because we repaired the old mansion ourselves and made it into a restaurant. And, then later they came to name it as a cultural relic. When we renovated this place, all the relevant officials knew what was happening. They even came to see the construction work."Du Hugang, general manager of Wang Gong Guan Food & Culture Co., said.

The company leased the building from its owners in 2007. The lease requires the mansion to be renovated professionally, and includes the right to run a business that "conforms to local culture."

"If the conservation regulation had existed at the time, we wouldn't have spent so much repairing the mansion. But we invested money, so now we have to make a profit. It's not like some other listed buildings that get national financial support."Du said.

The Wang Gong Guan food company is appealing the decision.

Experts say the issue is complex. Not all protected buildings receive financial support from the government, meaning that private capital is often the only way they can survive.

Shanxi has many historic buildings and cultural sites in urgent need of funding.... money that the local government simply doesn't have.

"The challenge is that many local governments lack the money to protect cultural relics, many of which are deteriorating. We need to formulate a more practical mechanism. Private investment should be encouraged."Professor Gao Chunping with Shanxi Academy Of Social Science said.

Experts say private investment can be very effective in helping to protect buildings and sites of cultural significance. But strict government supervision and professional guidance will always be needed, to stop profit from being the only priority. The focus should always be to restore and protect the original spirit and appearance of the building itself.