China will expand its Beijing-based National Museum into the world's largest one within the next four years, according to curator Lu Zhangshen.

 

The National Museum, standing on the east side of Tian'anmen Square, will undergo renovation and enlargement from next April to 2010, Lu was quoted as saying by the Beijing News on Sunday.

 

"The museum will expand 100 meters eastwards and its floor space will reach 192,000 square meters -- the largest in the world, " he said.

 

The project has won approval from the State Council as well as from the State Development and Reform Commission, he said.

 

Formed along the same lines of the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution, the National Museum of China was inaugurated on Feb. 28, 2003.

 

The two former museums were completed in August 1959, according to the official museum website.

 

The present National Museum is 313 meters long from north to south and 149 meters wide from east to west, with a total floor space of 69,000 square meters.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)