World record breaking work on Yuzhen Palace complete

The work was designed by the country's South-to-North Water Transfer Project Office and National Cultural Heritage Administration for this diversion project's expansion.

In 2005, the central government planned to enlarge water storage capacity of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the water source of the middle route of the diversion project. By 2013, its dam's top was raised from 162 to 176.6 meters, leading to a 66 percent increase in its water storage, according to local authorities.

The reservoir is one of the largest artificial freshwater lakes in Asia and provides water to areas of Henan and Hebei provinces as well as Beijing and Tianjin.

However, the expansion posed a submergence risk to surrounding areas within 300 square kilometers. So Yuzhen Palace, located about 1 kilometer from the water, needed to be saved from ruin.

By 2013, the dam and foundation raising projects were completed. In July this year, all the other buildings were restored, concluding the foundation project.

Cai Jianping, deputy head of the department of South-to-North Water Diversion Project Management with the Ministry of Water Resources, said that it should be celebrated that the work of Yuzhen Palace has passed technical checks, and it should be recognized as a historic moment for the palace that will help ensure its future.

Li Bo contributed to this story.