A night view of the Greek Pavilion in Shanghai Expo Park. Ding Haitao / for China Daily

Expo building to be relocated to capital as theme town is built

ATHENS - Chinese and Greek investors are hoping to build a Greece-themed town in Beijing's suburbs in an attempt to showcase Greek culture and civilization.

The financial backers even plan to move the Greek Pavilion from the Shanghai Expo site to the development, which is tentatively planned for Miyun county.

"We have already gained approval and encouragement from the Greek government to build a theme town in China, particularly in Miyun," said Christos Vlachos, director of the Greece-China Business Council in Athens and a Greek partner in the initiative.

Teams of initiators, planners and investors from both countries have already started to form.

The plan's initiator, James Jao, president of US Long On Group, which specializes in urban planning and investment, said Miyun county had responded favorably to the idea.

"We have identified a potential site of more than 650 acres on the west of Chaohe River in the county and we are now in the process of finishing up the feasibility study so we can officially present it to the government," said Jao, a Chinese-America urban planner who has worked as New York's urban planning commissioner.

Jao estimated that the project could cost $1.5 billion.

He said the money will come from businessmen in Greece, overseas Chinese and from within China.

"If all goes well, we expect to break ground in the latter part of 2011," said Jao.

Vlachos said the Greek government has endorsed the plan.

State Minister to the Prime Minister Harry Pampoukis has already sent a letter to Liu Qi, chief of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, expressing his support.

Meanwhile, Vlachos said Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang said the project was "doable" when he visited Athens earlier this year.

And Greece has been active in the process.

At the end of September, the ancient city of Sparta forged a sister-city relationship with Miyun.

"The plan to build the 'Greek Town' in Miyun was the decisive factor for that decision," said Vlachos.

Vlachos said Greece and China can exchange ideas about civilization, culture and their Olympic experiences and the Greek town could help in that process.

He said the Greek government had agreed to relocate the Greek Pavilion from Shanghai to Miyun and also hold functions for the Greek Olympics Committee in the town.

Vlachos said the project is aimed at the Chinese market and will include residential buildings and he said the investment should mainly come from China.

"But, I think, private capital in Greece is available," said Vlachos, who himself has worked in the investment field for many years.

He said the main responsibility from the Greek side in the project will be to offer input on architecture and culture.

"This project can make the Greek civilizations, especially Sparta, known by Chinese and also encourage Chinese people to visit Greece," said Vlachos.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/19/2010)