Western-style building in Forbidden City under repair

The only Western-style building in China's Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, a vast former imperial palace, will undergo an 18-month renovation, the museum's curator has said.

Built in 1915, the Baoyun Building is the only Western-style compound area and encompasses three two-story buildings and a gate left from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

It covers about 1,650 square meters and has been used to store numerous relics, thus the name "Baoyun," which literally means "treasure containing."

At Tuesday's launch ceremony for the repair project, curator Shan Jixiang noted the damage of varying degrees suffered by Baoyun's tiles, wooden structures, exterior and interior decorations, paintings and floors, stressing that "scientific and discreet renovation is urgently needed."

According to Shan, repair technicians will stick to the principle of "not altering the original state of cultural relics," and will try their best to use original crafts and methods and keep innate components to ensure style consistency.

After the planned completion in May 2015, Baoyun will mainly be used for exhibition, while some areas will be set aside for cultural research and academic exchanges, Shan added.

Renovation of Baoyun is part of a larger repair and construction movement that will cover some 13,025 square meters in the museum's western area, which Shan described as "suffering serious damage and containing great safety risks."

According to Shan, the overall project, due to wrap up in March 2016, is based on historical records, experts' advice and designs of similar areas in the museum.

The project aims to provide more space and convenience for relic protection, said Shan, adding that newly constructed buildings will house the museum's cultural protection technology department, which is currently using ancient buildings as offices.

Located in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City was home to China's emperors and was the highest center of power for about 500 years. It attracts more than 14 million visitors annually.

Early Spring Beauty at the Summer Palace

The CCTV Tower is reflected in the Summer Palace's Kunming Lake. Photo taken in March, 2014. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/ Song Xiaofeng]



Flowers blossom at daybreak at Beijing's Summer Palace. Photo taken in March, 2014. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/ Song Xiaofeng]



The Cloud-Dispelling Hall dominates Longevity Hill at Beijing's Summer Palace. Photo taken in March, 2014. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/ Song Xiaofeng]

World heritage: Stonehenge in Britain

Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2013 shows the Stonehenge located in Wiltshire, Britain. The Stonehenge built in Neolithic Age, is among the most famous groups of megaliths in the world. It contains a focal stone circle and henge and many other major monuments. The sanctuary consists of menhirs arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. The Stonehenge was listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1986. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)

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           Located in northwestern suburbs of Beijing Proper, formerly the garden to a temporary dwelling palace of the Qing Dynasty. At first, it was constructed into the Golden in the Jin dynasty, while it was constructed into the Good in the Ming Dynasty. Reconstructed in the fifteenth year under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1750), it was named Qingyi (Clean Ripple) Garden. In the fourteenth year under the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1888), Empress Dowager CiXi reconstructed it and renamed it into Summer. Covering a land of 2.9km, it has three fourths of its area under lake water. There are more than 3,000 palaces, halls, temples and garden buildings of various forms and types inside the garden, which are divided into three major activity areas for political affairs attending, dwelling and touring purposes. The whole garden, with the Longevity Hill as its center, is of blue hills and green waters with loftily towering chambers and long zigzag corridors in their splendid green and golden decoration with imposing vision thanks to the clever technique, which enables it to occupy an extremely position in domestic and overseas garden artistic history. In 1998 it was included in the “World Cultural Heritage List”.2 Palace Hill Garden Hill Temporary Dwelling Palace
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