The China Red Sandalwood Museum (CRSM) has donated one of its collections, a model of the Temple of Heaven, to the Louvre Museum in Paris at the opening of the Forum of Museum of Directors in Beijing Monday, according to sources with the forum Tuesday.

Jacques Perot, chairman of International Council of Museums, accepted the donation at the forum, the sources said.

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing was built in the year of 1420 during China's Ming Dynasty. It was where the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties worshipped Heaven. The main buildings within the park include the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Circular Mound and the Echo Wall.

The whole model, made of red sandalwood, is one tenth the size of the original circular building with a diameter of nine meters, a height of 2.47 meters and weight of ten tons, according to Chen Lihua, the curator of CRSM.

Chen said that the model will be split into several parts for transportation and be assembled again after arrival in Paris.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2004)