China to finish facelift of imperial resort

SHIJIAZHUANG - Work to renovate and protect the Chengde Mountain Resort, one of China's best-known imperial sites, will be completed before the end of this year, according to local authorities.

The work that started in 2010 aims to repair artifacts and structures in the imperial garden and its outlying temples in north China's Hebei Province, as well as improve security.

"Of 105 planned projects, 86 have been completed and the pace will speed up to ensure all the work is done by the end of this year," said Han Lisen, deputy head of the provincial cultural heritage bureau.

The projects will cost 600 million yuan ($92 million), funded by the central government.

Serving emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Chengde Mountain Resort was added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1994.

It suffered extensive damage at the hands of nature and men before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Renovation projects were carried out between 1976 and 2005, but they were deemed inadequate.