Construction has begun on a SOS Children's Village in Beijing, the tenth in China and the biggest to date, a project spokesman said Tuesday, noting it should be completed in 2008.

The village, cosponsored by the municipal government and SOS Kinderdorf International (SOS KDI), will be home to 120 orphans aged three to six selected by the local bureau of civil affairs, said Ding Kaishan, preparation office director.

A total of 15 two-storied buildings will be built for 15 "families" on an area of 23,275 square meters, with a combined floor space of 9,205 square meters.

The village will employ 15 loving, single women aged 25 to 35 years to act as professional "mothers" for six to eight children in each "family" until they are old enough to work, said Ding.

The local government has invested nearly 16 million yuan to acquire the land. Construction of the village will be funded by SOS KDI at a cost of 29 million yuan (US$3.75 million). SOS KDI will also pay the orphans' living costs, said Ding.

China has set up nine SOS Children's Villages in northwestern, eastern and southern Chinese cities since 1984, such as Tianjin, Qiqihar, Chengdu, Urumqi and Lhasa. At present, more than 1,300 Chinese orphans are being looked after in the villages.

The SOS Children's Village project began in Austria during World War II to provide orphans with family care. More than 400 such villages have been established in 131 countries.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)