30-bln-yuan replica of Old Summer Palace opens

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Editor's note: This group of photos taken on May 5, 2015 show the scenery inside the newly-built full-scale replica of the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan, at Hengdian World Studios in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province. The first phase of the construction of the Old Summer Palace replica was recently completed.

The Old Summer Palace was destroyed by French and British troops who conducted extensive looting of the imperial garden complex in 1860 during the Second Opium War.

Chunyuan (the Spring Garden), the largest of the four major gardens in the palace, is expected to open to the public on May 10, 2015. Chunyuan contains 45 independent smaller gardens, each filled with pavilions and structures in imperial and traditional folk architectures, in addition to the manmade Lake Fuhai (“Good Fortune Lake”). The replica of the Old Summer Palace will eventually have four zones that will cover a total of 6,200 mu (about 1021.36 acres) and will contain 100 smaller gardens.

A total of 30 billion yuan (about US$4.8 billion) has been invested in the construction of the replica of the palace. The other three gardens in the palace complex will be completed in 2016. The palace builders and operators said they have collected cultural relics and artworks from all over China that they will use along with contemporary replicas to try their best to recreate the interior installments of the original Old Summer Palace while adding modern amenities like LED screens and fountains. The new palace may also become a major shooting location for films and TV dramas in the future.

This photo taken on May 5, 2015 shows the scenery inside the newly-built full-scale replica of the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan, at Hengdian World Studios in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province. The first phase of the construction of the Old Summer Palace replica was recently completed. [Photo/Xinhua]