(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-02-28 17:31

The administrators of the Old Summer Palace Wednesday voiced opposition to rebuilding the famed imperial site in East China's Zhejiang Province.

Relics of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. [file]

Zong Tianliang, spokesman for Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace, responded to a proposal to build a reproduction of the site. Zong said it did not make any sense to build a replica because the ruined imperial garden represented a period of history which should not be copied.

A Chinese firm announced in Beijing this month to build a full-sized replica of Yuanmingyuan Garden in Hengdian, Zhejiang Province. The privately-owned Hengdian Group has unveiled a five-year, 20 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) plan to recreate all 126 of Yuanmingyuan's key areas on a new site covering 400 hectares.

Zong questioned the legitimacy of this project and its authenticity of the architectural plans. He emphasized Yuanmingyuan's uniqueness and held the opinion that it was unpractical for Hengdian to recreate all 126 key areas due to insufficient historical resources.

The company said it has all historical resources necessary for the construction, and its move to build the replica does not violate any law.

Hengdian is famous for providing sets for Chinese films and television dramas, and the new gardens would be a lucrative backdrop for imperial soap operas popular with Chinese audiences.

The media and netizens have generated a lot of controversy over this project because of the historical significance of the destroyed palace. According to an online survey conducted by Sina.com, 53.2 percent of more than 18,000 people who responded said they supported the replica proposal, while some 44 percent did not.

A netizen named Hongtangxiaolizi said in Tianya.cn that the building of a replica was just a waste of money and would probably make people forget the humiliating history. "It would be better if used in other ways such as eliminating poverty," Hongtangxioalizi wrote.

"I agree with the idea of reproducing Yuanmingyuan because I want to see what it looked like," said a netizen on Sina.com whose IP address was from Hebei Province. "Rebuilding a new garden can showcase the pre-19th century artistic achievements of China."

Located in northwest Beijing, construction on Yuanmingyuan began in 1709 and was finished in 1744. It was burned down by British and French troops in 1860 when they plundered the palace for its treasures. Yuanmingyuan is regarded as a symbol to remind the Chinese of their shameful history in the 19th century.