Beijing plans to rebuild the 230-year-old Tuanhe Imperial Palace, the largest imperial "weekend getaway" in the city.

Located on the southern outskirts of the capital, the palace was built in 1772, during the heyday of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). It was destroyed by war in the 19th century.

Only two of the 600-plus structures on the palace grounds are still standing.

The multimillion-dollar project will likely begin by the end of the year, the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau announced yesterday.

Most of the ancient buildings will be rebuilt based on their original designs, said Wang Fuyu, an official with the bureau's Relics Protection Division.

She said relics experts have found a plan of the palace drafted during the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875–1908), as well as several building designs from that period.

"The new construction will stay strictly in line with the old designs and everything will be done using traditional Chinese building techniques," said Wang.

The Tuanhe Imperial Palace, covering an area of 33 hectares, is located to the west of the city's central axis, in Daxing District.

The palace was originally built by Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799), one of the most influential rulers of the Qing Dynasty, as a place to rest and relax after hunting at nearby Nanhaizi Field.

Qianlong and later emperors, as well as the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908), all spent a part of every year at the palace.

Liu Yuquan, head of the Daxing District Culture Committee, said the massive restoration is divided into two phases. It is scheduled to be completed by 2007, when it will open to the public.

The first phase includes the reconstruction of most structures inside the palace wall, including halls, scenic spots, hills and lakes. The first phase is expected to cost "at least tens of millions yuan, but exact numbers have not been calculated yet," said Liu, who is also deputy director of the project.

The second phase will focus on the reconstruction of the seven residences of Qing princes and more than 100 houses for workers who lived outside the palace wall, he said.

However, Wang Shiren, a renowned relics expert, expressed concern about sufficient money being available for quality construction.

He said the reconstruction should match the quality of building during the reign of Emperor Guangxu, which can be seen at the well-known Summer Palace, the imperial resort located in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing.

(China Daily October 28, 2004)