Contrast of old and new

Since most of the buildings in the Palace were destroyed in a fire in the early 20th century, the renovators had to use historical documents to restore the buildings to their original appearance.

One of the most successful reconstructions is of the First Palace Gate (Tougongmen). The contrast between its original eastern walls and the restored southern and northern walls is striking. Likewise the vivid colors of restored roof paintings stand out against the faded originals.

"Prince Gong's Palace is a record of half the history of the Qing Dynasty," the staff said. "We have kept the original building intact as far as possible."

People visited the 232 year old Palace of Prince Gong (Gong Wang Fu), which opened to the public today.

Buildings only surpassed by the Forbidden City

Experts say the buildings of Prince Gong's Palace were considered inferior only to Beijing's world-renowned Forbidden City.

The doornails on the Tougongmen are ranked in seven rows and nine columns, just two rows less than those on the gates of the Forbidden City. The green glazed tiles indicate the status of its former owner. "Golden glazed tiles were used in the Forbidden City and green tiles in the Prince Gong's Palace. In the Qing Dynasty green was considered one rank below yellow."

Cultural Revolution slogans preserved

Slogans painted on the Palace walls during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) have not been removed. This is partly in order not to damage the walls, but also because, having been there for 40 years, the slogans have become part of the fabric of the building and its historical heritage.

(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, August 20, 2008)