More than 150,000 relics retrieved before water diversion construction

More than 150,000 pieces of cultural relics were unearthed during ten years of excavation work prior to construction of the south-to-north water transfer project in central China, an official said Friday.

The ancient artifacts, discovered near the Danjiangkou reservoir in Hubei Province, were retrieved from 159 relic sites, providing fresh answers to some historic mysteries, said Guo Chongxi, head of the bureau of cultural relics in Shiyan City.

A host of preservation operations have been established in Hubei to help protect the historical evidence, Guo said.

Elsewhere, more than 100,000 ancient artifacts were discovered in Henan Province over nine years during preparation for the project, local officials said last week.

The middle route of the transfer project will see 9.5 billion cubic meters of water per year pumped through canals and pipes from the Danjiangkou reservoir to the northern provinces of Henan and Hebei and to Beijing.

The project was conceived by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1952. The State Council approved the ambitious project in December 2002 after debate lasting nearly half a century.