Emperors' residence to be restored

One of the buildings at Beijing's Palace Museum, or Forbidden City, most closely associated with imperial life is to undergo a major renovation based on traditional construction techniques, the museum announced on Friday.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation, the residence of the last eight Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors, was partially restored in the early 1980s, but for years has received in the part open to the public up to 800 visitors at a time during peak hours.

The Forbidden City was China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911. The 3,800-sq-m Hall of Mental Cultivation, built in 1537, served in part as a place for emperors to meet officials. Emperor Yongzheng (1678-1735) was the first monarch to live there, and the building witnessed the early days of the reign of the legendry Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908).