The reconstruction of an 11-kilometre wall bordering the ruins of the Beijing garden Yuanmingyuan, which was also called garden of the gardens, will be completed this year after 13 work units are moved out of the garden site.

The walls will strictly follow the garden's original design, according to Zong Tianliang, assistant director of the garden's administrative department.

With a total investment of 11 million yuan (US$1.3 million), the project will reconstruct 2 kilometers and repair 1 kilometer of wall this year alone.

The whole project, which started in 1985, saw 3 kilometers of wall finished in the 1980s and 6 kilometers in 1994, using municipal government grants and donations from individuals.

Yuanmingyuan, or the old Summer Palace, is an imperial garden in northwest Beijing. It was built from 1709 onwards, but burned down by British and French invaders in 1860.

The 13 work units to be moved out include a chemical engineering research institute and two factories located within the garden. They will be moved to better protect the site, said Zong.

A total of 615 families have already moved out of the garden at a cost of 280 million yuan (US$34 million).

Regulations about protecting the garden should be drafted before the end of May by the administrative department of the park, according to Beijing Vice-Mayor Wang Guangtao, who spoke during a visit to Yuanmingyuan last week.

(China Daily 04/05/2001)