An aerial view of the Zhongshan Nursing Home. [Photo by Xia Shengquan]

The "construction of overseas Chinese Park" has been included into the Government Work Report of Zhongshan this year. With the approval of Zhongshan Municipal Government, the Zhongshan Overseas Chinese Park project was incorporated into the city's infrastructure projects in March

At present, the United Front Work Department of Zhongshan Municipal Committee of CPC has consulted senior leaders of overseas Chinese affairs office, overseas Chinese and representatives of Hong Kong and Macao compatriots on the park program. Moreover, it has adjusted the program according to the feedbacks; after the plan is made clear, the Zhongshan Housing and Urban-rural Development Bureau will speed up the follow-up construction work.

There are two preliminary programs for the overseas Chinese park. In the second program, all buildings will be retained, which receives the support of deputies to the Municipal People's Congress and Municipal CPPCC members.

According to the program, the park covering an area of about 46,000 square meters will be built in two phases. The first phase focuses on the garden design. The second phase centers on renovating all the buildings, building new commemorative sculptures and cultural walls of overseas Chinese.

The original buildings will be refurbished and improved for use. For example, the original rehabilitation center will become an activity center, the original Longevity Building will become a cultural and creative industry park for young people from Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and a corridor will be added to present the history of overseas Chinese.

The Zhongshan Nursing Home, situated at the intersection of Qiwan Avenue and Taoyuan Road in urban Zhongshan, was put into use on November 12, 1986. However, it has been vacant since 2011 due to its dilapidated internal facilities.

"It is a waste to leave the land of the Zhongshan Nursing Home unused. It will be transformed into an overseas Chinese park, also a patriotic education base as well as a window to learn the history and the culture of overseas Chinese of of Zhongshan," said a deputy to the Municipal People's Congress.