An imperial dock, located in the Summer Palace in Beijing, an imperial garden of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), will be restored in the near future, according to Tuesday's Beijing Morning Post.

The dock is China's biggest and best preserved imperial dock and covers an area of 3,400 sq.m.

It is on the National Historical Heritage listing and is also a popular scenic spot for today's tourists.

According to historical records, the dock was used specifically for berthing imperial vessels during the Qing Dynasty. Since it was built, it has not been repaired extensively and therefore it is in a state of disrepair.

Experts say that restoring the dock to its original condition will be important in helping people learn more about the architecture of the Qing Dynasty.

The Summer Palace was first built in 1750, during emperor Qianlong's reign, but was burnt down in 1860 and in 1900 by foreign invaders.

Empress Dowager Ci'xi twice rebuilt the Summer Palace, in 1888 and 1903 respectively. The appearance of today's Summer Palace is almost as it was in 1903.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2002)