Beijing's Shunyi District has relocated residents living in three villages nearby to the take-off area of the Beijing Capital International Airport to keep them from sound pollution, Beijing-based Beijing News has reported.

Kuliushu, Huiminying, and Gangshan villages are located right next to the take-off area of the Capital International Airport. Over the years, villagers have been troubled almost every minute by the huge sound the aircrafts make when taking off.

Now, the villages of Kuliushu and Huiminying have been leveled to the ground and its villagers relocated. Construction workers have entered the site and began preparation work to build a group of warehouses serving as a logistic center.

Residents of the two villages, totaling 3,723, began moving into their new homes several kilometers away in Qinglan Town, a residential community built especially for the immigrants, back in September.

The Qinglan Town is a moderate residential area with convenient transportation. To respect the religious customs of Huiminying Village's muslin population, a mosque was also built in Qinglan Town.

Villagers received government compensation and enjoyed preferential policies when buying their new homes in Qinglan Town.

According to an agreement with the town government, villagers could buy housing as large as 45 square meters at a low price of 2,100 yuan per square meter. And every villager received extra compensation of no less than 100,000 yuan.

Villagers in the third village of Gangshan are now in the middle of their relocation work. Ninety percent of the villagers have moved into their new homes in the Sanshanxinxin Residential Area.

Besides housing, the town government will also help these poor villagers to receive subsidies from the District Government and help them find new jobs. Villagers will get preferential treatment to find a job related to the airport or logistic centers around it.

As part of the new plan, land directly under the plane's flying course will be rebuilt into green belts and several logistic centers will be built along the central line.

(CRIENGLISH.com December 5, 2007)