Of the relics in the area, 2 are on the national protection list, including a section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.[Photo/Xinhua]

A total of 236 cultural relics in Beijing's Tongzhou district, where a new government center is under construction, will be restored within the next three years, authorities said Wednesday.

Tongzhou was established in 195 B.C., originally called Luxian county. In 2016, an archaeological excavation found that a large number of people resided in the area more than 2,000 years ago.

Of the relics in the area, 2 are on the national protection list, including a section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, according to Tongzhou's Culture Committee.

The district plans to transform famous relics like the Grand Canal into tourist sites and bases for patriotic education, while relics in towns and villages will be restored and turned into history museums.