The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most magnificent hall in the
world-famous Imperial Palace in downtown Beijing, was closed for
renovation on Friday, with a scheduled reopening at the end of
2007.
The hall, decorated with thousands of dragons -- symbols of
imperial power -- was considered the most important hall in the
palace.
Meanwhile, the Hall of Complete Harmony and the Hall of
Preserving Harmony, two other opulent halls, will stay open during
the renovation, said Palace Museum officials.
Before the renovation, the area open to the public was only
250,000 square meters, 38 percent of the palace's ground space. But
when it reopens, the area open to the public will increase by 12
percent to nearly 400,000 square meters, half of the palace's total
area.
The project is part of larger efforts begun in 2001 to restore the
imperial grandeur of the 585-year-old palace, the former residence
of 24 emperors.
The repair center is trying to compensate for inconvenience
caused to visitors.
The Imperial Palace is China's biggest tourist attraction,
drawing 7 million visitors a year. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was
the most important and lavish building in the palace. It was also
the administrative heart of China where all the emperors royal
business was conducted.
(Shanghai Daily January 7, 2006)