BEIJING, (AFP) - The southern Chinese boomtown of Guangzhou plans to put itself in the record books by building the tallest tower in the world, with work set to begin next month, officials involved in the project said.
The Guangzhou TV Tower, which is expected to soar between 580-600 metres (1,914-1,980 feet) above ground, would surpass the current record holder, the 553-metre CN Tower in Toronto, built in 1976.
Located on the banks of the Pearl River, the new TV tower will occupy 84,880 square metres in the city's premier business district of Tianhe.
Thirteen domestic and overseas companies have been bidding for the right to design the landmark structure in Guangdong province with the shortlist now down to three.
Huang Jiatian, deputy director at the Headquarters for the Construction of the Guangzhou New TV Tower, said the companies were ARUP Qualification of Britain, Architecture Studio of France and Leon Wohl Hage Wernik of Germany.
"We haven't decided on the design of the tower yet so the project may be delayed a bit but we expect the project to be open to tourists by 2008," he told AFP.
"The TV tower will be a symbol of Guangzhou, a tourist attraction combining cultural and entertainment facilities," said Huang.
The reason for the height was primarily related to the television transmitter, he added.
An official surnamed Luo from the Construction Committee of Guangzhou said around 200 families would have to be moved to make way for the project.
"Relocation work has already begun and the building work will begin at the beginning of December," he told AFP.
According to the China Daily, the project will cost more than 1.5 billion yuan (180 million dollars).
The tower will include sky gardens, bars and other tourist facilities and be illuminated at night.
Guangzhou's old TV Tower will be demolished with the Guangdong provincial TV stations moving into the new building.
"It will help further raise Guangzhou's standing at home and abroad and help promote the city's tourism in the years to come," Chen Wangqiang, from the Guangzhou Association of Architecture, told China Daily.
TV towers have often become architectural symbols and tourist attractions in many cities around the world, including one in another Chinese city, Shanghai.
