The Imperial Palace has gone over a period of 582 years since it came into being in 1420 according to Jin Hongkui, deputy director of the department for protection of cultural relics of the State Administration of Cultural Relics. And so most of the buildings are old and damaged in the course of weathering or due to human destruction. It is hoped that after the maintenance and reparation this time the Imperial Palace will take on a new look before 2008, presenting to people an ancient yet splendid complex of palatial buildings.
According to the plan, the work of maintenance will set off this year and continue all along to the year of 2008 prior to the Olympic Games. As the first phase in the maintenance work the prospect and survey will soon begin yet the concrete program for it is still under discussion. However, as revealed the reparation this year, according to experts, will be some places formerly not opened to the public and to be carried out as experimental spots so as to improve the plan and program for the maintenance.
What are to be maintained and repaired in the Imperial Palace?
In the maintenance work soon to be set off what are the major ancient buildings and areas to be stressed? The answer of the cultural relic department is like this: the Hall of Martial Prowess (known in Chinese as Wuyingdian), Palace of Benevolence & Tranquility (Ci'ninggong) and Palace of Longevity & Health (Shoukanggong).
Recently, the reporter had a special interview with Jin Hongkui, the aforesaid deputy-director as to some details in the maintenance work, Jin told the reporter that the Hall of Martial Prowess is a hall of importance in the Imperial Palace. It is located in the front part along the western line of the palatial buildings and has now been decided to take as an experimental spot in the large-scale reparation of the Imperial Palace.
Pointing at the arrays of bricks outside the gate of the Hall of Martial Prowess, Jin Hongkui said, "This part close to the pedestal of the hall is meant for water drainage. If it is not leveled enough and with many broken pieces the water will penetrate into them in summer and freeze in winter. The repeated swelling in cold weather will hasten them to break up and further to affect the solidity of the whole platform. The veranda railings here are all made of white marbles. They look very smart yet they are quite easily weathered. This part is originally known as lotus-plinth, which is, however, indiscernible now and fractured."
Besides, the colorful paintings on the ancient buildings have not only an artistic value but can also serve to protect the wooden structures and however, due to their flaking off from within, they've ceased to protect the building now. These are typical problems we've found in the ancient groups of architecture in the Imperial Palace.
We'll ask the experts to come and make appraisals while we are doing our maintenance work," said Jin Hongkui, "If any problems occur we'll solve them at the experimental stage and not let them affect the work of maintenance as a whole."
Difficulties: technology and use of materials
As learned, the most difficult problem encountered in the maintenance work of the Imperial Palace is the technology and use of materials. The clay bricks must be somewhat the same as the original in quality and texture; the white marble railings be able to resist erosion and weathering and the maintenance needs great amount of wood. It is evidently impossible for us to fell a large plot of forests.
Aside from all that mentioned above, part of fire prevention and security systems have also to be replaced and improved. The presently exposed drainage, electricity-supply and heating systems must be made to go underground; the cement-bricks and asphalt-roads paved in the 1970s before its reopening must be replaced. And some part of the palatial buildings long occupied by other units and the new buildings put up in the Imperial Palace which are inharmonious with the original must be removed and dismantled on negotiations with them.
(People's Daily March 19, 2002)
