According to Xinhua News Agency, the Shennongjia Airport project in Hubei, which has already been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, will begin construction in March 2009.
Early preparations for the construction of Shennongjia Airport are now picking up pace and construction of the 13-kilometer-long airport highway has recently begun.
The Shennongjia Airport is to be located on a large grass plain, about 16 kilometers from the northwest of Muyu Town. The construction of the airport, which will be built in accordance with the 4C standard, has an estimated total investment of 1 billion yuan and will take place over a three-year period.
Shennongjia, located in the west of Hubei Province, is the world's only well-preserved virgin forest in the mid-latitude region. The name Shennongjia comes from the legend of Shennongshi, who used to gather medicinal herbs in this area and build structures for such purpose.
Its unique geographic conditions and three-dimensional microclimate make it a transition area in China for northern and southern plant species and an intersecting area for numerous wild animals to breed and live. Among other things, it enjoys a reputation as a "natural flora and fauna garden" and a "natural museum."
In recent years, the Shennongjia Nature Reserve has attracted world attention and has been given financial assistance by the World Bank as an Asian demonstration base for biodiversity and ecological landscape.
It has also been listed as a critical member by the reserve network of the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
By People's Daily Online
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