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A bird's-eye view of a replica of the Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan, in Hengdian, East China's Zhejiang province, which will partially open in May. [Photo/IC] Built to the scale of the one in Beijing destroyed in 1860 by British and French forces, it features 95 percent of the original architecture. The Old Summer Palace served as a garden for the royal family of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was known as the "garden of all gardens" for its architectural diversity. The new garden covers an area of 6,200 mu (413 hectares) and costs about 30 billion yuan ($5 billion). The palace is divided into Spring Park, Summer Park, Autumn Park and Winter Park, containing 100 small gardens. Spring Park, which opens next month, comprises 45 gardens in different styles. The rest of the complex is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. |
