The Residence of Prince Gong of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the largest and best-preserved one among the 60 residences of Qing princes in Beijing, underwent extensive and costly renovations beginning Monday.

The renovation project will cost 480 million yuan (US$60 million) in repairing the complex and retrieving its lost cultural relics.

The whole project is expected to be completed by September 2007 and the residence will be open to public, said sources in charge of the project.

A national museum and a research center on the unique culture of Qing prince residences will also be set up in the complex, which are to be the first in China, said Lu Ping, director of cultural relics with the residence.

The renovation will cover 12,600 square meters of the residence which has a total area of 32,000 square meters.

This residence complex, built in 1776, was the private living quarters of Heshen, a high-ranking official and also renowned scholar at Qianlong's court (1735-1796).

In 1851, it was bestowed to Yixin, or Prince Gongqin, during Xianfeng's reign.

In 1988, its gardens were open to public, but the imperial mansion's grandeur had faded with the ups and downs in the past two centuries.

"We have done a lot of research work," said Luo Zhewen, an architect specialized in ancient buildings. "The renovation aims at preserving the historic rather than setting up a new mansion."

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2005)