North China's Hebei Province has enacted a regulation to protect the Imperial Summer Resort (Summer Mountain Villa), one of China's best-known imperial resorts, in Chengde City.

Listed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1994, the summer resort and surrounding temples make up the largest surviving imperial garden and temples, dating back to the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). They represent the high architectural art of Chinese classical buildings and gardens.

Zhang Shiru, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress, said booming tourism and city construction posed growing threats to the summer resort.

The new regulation is seen as a precious gift to the upcoming 300th founding anniversary of the Imperial Summer Resort.

Visitors entering the site's protective zone will face punishment if they cause any damage to the summer resort, surrounding temples or natural landscape.

The regulation also stipulates that any structure deemed detrimental to the safety and environmental integrity of the ancient relics be dismantled or relocated.

Covering an area of 5.6 million square meters, the world-renowned Summer Mountain Villa was Emperor Kangxi's and Emperor Qianlong's temporary imperial palace resort in the Qing Dynasty.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2003)