Experts have warned that laying waterproof material on the bed of the Yuanmingyuan royal garden to prevent seepage will severely damage the ecosystem of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) garden in Beijing.

Workers had covered most of the lakebed with plastic material, the People's Daily reported. Concrete had been used in some places.

"They are not saving water for the garden. They are digging a tomb for it," said Zhang Zhengchun, a biology professor at Lanzhou University.

Zhang said once the water stopped seeping, many plant and animal species in and around the lake would die. The water would become stagnant and filthy.

The film would also damage the style of the garden by changing it from a natural lake to an artificial pool, said Zhang.

Li Jingqi, director of the Yuanmingyuan management office, said the project to prevent seepage was decided by several government departments in October 2003.

Li presented a government plan, which said that because more than 2.5 million cubic meters of water seeped out of the lake each year, waterproof material must be laid on the lakebed. The plan is expected to save 1.5 million cubic meters of water each year.

Li said the anti-seepage project could protect the garden environment rather than damage it.

Some willows around the lake were dying for lack of water, said Li, adding that his office spent several million yuan buying water from the Yuquanhe River.

However, Prof. Zhang said laying the waterproof material would cost about 150 million yuan (US$18 million), enough to buy water for the garden for dozens of years.

Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Garden of Perfect Brightness, was built in the 18th century. It originally featured elaborate gardens, statues and fountains, created by the best artists from all over the country. Most of its palaces were destroyed in the 1900s by foreign invaders.

(Shenzhen Daily March 29, 2005)