A proposed station on Nanjing's second metro line will threaten the buried remains of a Ming dynasty palace, say academics and officials opposed to the plan, in a dispute that has pitted preservationists against city planners.
Authorities in the Jiangsu capital have announced that the station will be located in an area where experts say the remains of an ancient building complex lie three to six metres below the surface.
All that remains of the Ming palace above ground are five marble bridges, a ruined gate and the column bases of the former buildings, but experts say more lies below what is now a tourist site in the city centre.
'The construction of metro stations poses a significant threat to the protection of these historic sites,' said an official from the Nanjing Cultural Relics Bureau.
Pan Guxi, of Nanjing's Southeast University, who is opposed to the project, said one plan put forward by the city would see the station cut through the archaeological site.
'It is very hard to protect the site, as it is located under the city centre. You can't easily stop new construction. Many relics are still being discovered while the piles of new buildings are being driven into them.