The palace of "Manchukuo" - a puppet regime (1932-45) installed in northeastern China by Japanese invaders - is being renovated in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, and part of it has opened to the public.

The palace housed Aisin-gioro Pu Yi (1906-67), who was the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and later became "emperor" of the puppet state after the Japanese army took control of northeastern China.

Pu Yi's residence was adapted from the office building and salt warehouse of the former Jilin-Heilongjiang Transport Bureau, which were designed by a Russian. The Japanese later built a few more buildings in the compound for Pu Yi and his family.

The compound covers 43,000 square meters and comprises buildings and gardens in a mixture of Chinese, Japanese and Russian styles.

The palace cannot in any way be compared to the imperial palaces of other emperors of the Qing Dynasty but it witnessed a humiliating period in Chinese history, said Wang Lijie, a researcher with the Puppet Manchurian Imperial Palace Museum in Changchun.

After the four-year renovation project finishes next year, the whole palace will be open to tourists.

(People's Daily July 21, 2003)