The current dredging of canals linking with Wulie River near the Summer Mountain Villa in Chengde, an imperial palace of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), is expected to bring back the resort's full attraction to welcome visitors.

The total investment in the project is estimated to reach some 5 million yuan (over US$600,000).

The Summer Mountain Villa, located in Chengde, Hebei Province, about 250 kilometers north of Beijing, was built in 1790 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

The Wulie River was originally channeled into the garden to create a lush scenery. Eventually the canals were filled with silt in the late Qing Dynasty.

After decades of dryness, the water-related scenic spots in the garden gradually lost their luster. Many embankments even collapsed in recent years.

By the completion of the project this year, visitors here are expected to see the original landscape in this imperial villa as it was over 200 years ago.

Occupying a land of 5.6 million square meters, double the space of the Summer Palace, and consisting mainly of the palace area and the gardens area, the resort is the largest remaining classical imperial garden architecture in China and boasts all kinds of classical Chinese architectural structures.

(People’s Daily 02/26/2001)