Summer Palace pavilion restored to former glory

"The restoration was to preserve and pass on the historical information and other values of this building in a true and comprehensive way, so that as an old building, its life span can be extended. We don't aim to make it look young again," said Rong.

"The colorful painting decorations on the beams have been kept without any changes," said Rong. "They have been preserved well. Therefore, based on our minimizing interference principle we didn't do anything to them."

In 2017, the heritage monitoring center at the Summer Palace found problems with the building. It had decayed wooden components, loose joints, detached tiles and water damage.

Technicians inspected and monitored the hall four times a year, tracing and recording damage until its official restoration.

"The interior finishes have been preserved well. We have identified the materials of each wooden component and the patterns on them, and recorded the information in a systematic way. That will provide a good reference for possible future restoration," said Rong.