Yuanmingyuan, the most magnificent imperial garden in China, has long been one of Beijing's major tourist attractions. But the public has so far been unable to appreciate the garden's beauty in its entirety, due to the destruction wrought by Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. A project is currently under way to bring back the original look of the western part of Yuangmingyuan, which for a long time has been buried under ruins.

The first phase of the preservation program is taking place in the long deserted western part of the garden. Initial efforts are being focused on cleaning up the ruins and water system, as well as reinforcement of the riverbanks. In addition, work will be carried out 16 bridges in the garden to restore their original features.

Zong Tianliang, director of the Research Office of Yuangmingyuan Garden, said, "We plan to spend the next couple of years trying to show people the real charm of the imperial garden. That should be a combination of classic ancient buildings and natural landscapes that maintain the historic feel."

Originally built in 1709 during the Qing Dynasty era, the Yuanmingyuan Garden featured typical Chinese scenery combined with Western architecture. It was sacked during the invasion of Anglo-French Allied forces in 1860 and reduced to ruins. The western part, which is some 700,000 square meters in area, is expected to be opened to the public at the end of this year.

(CCTV.com February 9, 2004)