In Beijing, a large-scale renovation of the Tower of Buddhist Incense, a main attraction of the Summer Palace, will kick off at the end of this year. The move is expected to revitalize the World Heritage Site and is part of the capital city's ongoing efforts to preserve its history, CCTV reported Wednesday.

First built in 1750, the Tower of Buddhist Incense stands high atop Longevity Hill in the Summer Palace. Though destroyed by foreign invaders in 1860, it was rebuilt in 1886. The two-year restoration project is to cost about 3.6 million US dollars.

Gao Dawei, deputy curator of Summer Palace, said, "The renovation won't be kept secret. The whole process will be open to visitors. They'll see our traditional technique of restoration."

With major work on the wood structures, the program also includes a complete cleaning of the stone carvings. And according to the deputy curator, the tower will actually be better than retaining the old, with modern security and fire prevention systems also installed.

A landmark building of the Summer Palace, the tower was formerly a place for Qing emperors and empresses to pray.

(CCTV.com October 28, 2004)