It's not proving to be a good year for the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan Park, in northwestern Beijing.

First, lakebeds at the key tourist destination were covered with impermeable membrane to prevent water seepage. Outraged experts called it an environmental disaster that will damage the underground water supply, and the project was ordered suspended while the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) investigates the case.

Now, long-established wild shrubs and trees have been rooted out to make way for manmade rockeries and decorative plants.

"Yuanmingyuan still has great value because of its environment. The park is home to a lot of native plant species that provide an excellent habitat for many kinds of birds and other animals. The vegetation is very important for the conservation of water and top soil," Yu Kongjian, a professor of landscape architecture at Peking University, told the Beijing News on Monday.

Moreover, as a state-protected heritage site any work must be undertaken with caution and must not destroy the original surroundings, Mei Ninghua, director of the Beijing Bureau of Cultural Heritage, stated earlier

"People should have a clear understanding of the value of Yuanmingyuan. The park's value lies in its defaced ruins and the natural ecological environment," noted Yu.

The palace was burned down in 1860 by British and French soldiers. More destruction followed in 1900 by the foreign troops of the Eight Allied Powers.

"Rooting out wild grass, shrubs and trees and planting so-called decorative vegetation will destroy the park again," Yu stated.

On March 31, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau announced that the lakebed-coating project had not received approval from any environmental protection authorities. Work on the project was suspended pending further investigation.

However, the multimillion-dollar project was resumed and completed last week.

SEPA will hold a public hearing on Wednesday to discuss the projects at the park.

He Fang, an official with the Yuanmingyuan Management Office, said her office would talk with experts who questioned the landscape renovation project at Wednesday's hearing.

(China Daily April 12, 2005)