The Summer Palace, China's outstanding ancient imperial garden, is set to be revamped as part of a cultural development project set up by the municipal government of Beijing.

"We are expecting to restore about 30 scenic spots in the park in the future," said Geng Liutong, general engineer of the Summer Palace.

All historical relics will receive periodical maintenance strictly according to the plan, and there is a balance between the areas that will be maintained and the areas kept open for visitors, Geng revealed.

Beijing has allocated more than 10 million yuan (US dollars 1.2 million) every year for the protection and reconstruction of historical relics in the park since 1990s.

It is scientific and rational to repair the scenic spots every 20 years, according to Geng.

The Summer Palace was built in 1750 in the Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911), it exhibits almost all elements of ancient China's gardens such as pavilions, bridges, pagodas and boats.

As part of the rebuilding project, efforts will be made to preserve the rare artifacts exhibited in the Wenchang Gallery.

Some 400,000 trees in the park will also be looked after, with their files being kept in the garden's database.

In order to restore the original construction, the government has started to move out residents that have occupied the park for years, China Daily reported.

(People's Daily 08/13/2001)