Beijing plans to renovate the Monument to the People's Heroes in the magnificent Tiananmen Square, the second such renovation since 1980, the Beijing Times daily reported Thursday.

"This renovation is aimed at repairing leaks in the cellar of the monument and remedy the cracks spotted in the base of the monument," Liu Zhongping, of the Chinese Cultural Heritage Institute and designer of the renovation plan, was cited as saying.

Liu predicted a sum of 3 million yuan (375,000 US dollars) might be needed for the project.

The renovation plan has won approval from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Committee is inviting public bidding for the reconstruction contract, the Beijing Times said.

The Monument to the People's Heroes, erected in memory of China's wartime heroes, was first completed in April 1958 and stands almost 37.94 meters tall.

Source: Xinhua