David Hockney in the house: Beijing temple’s revival starts with art museum – Shanghai Xintiandi restorer talks us through the project

Longfu Temple, near the Forbidden City, is being turned into a new cultural destination by Tony Wong, who overcame doubts about its feng shui

M Woods Museum opened there as part of the project, with a show of works by British artist Hockney; a recreation of original Ming dynasty temple adorns a roof

Reading Time:3 minutes

One of four structures on the rooftop of the newly restored Longfu Temple in Beijing, China, that recreate the architecture of the original 15th century temple built during the Ming dynasty. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 12:15pm, 10 Oct 2019Updated: 8:28pm, 10 Oct 2019

When Tony Wong Hong-wang, who has led more than 50 heritage revitalisation projects in China, was invited to restore the Longfu Temple in Beijing, he had reservations.

The first temple was built on the site in 1452 by the Jingtai Emperor of the Ming dynasty, and was the only one in the city to accommodate both lamas and monks. Near the Forbidden City and commercial centre Wangfujing, the site gradually evolved into a bustling market hub over the centuries.

A fire in 1901 destroyed the original temple and it was not until 1988 that the nine-storey Longfu Tower was built in its place. Another devastating fire in 1993 ravaged the tower, and subsequent restoration efforts did not return the site to its former glory.

“People told me it has bad feng shui,” says Wong, chief executive of property developer Kicers Group.

The exterior of Beijing’s Longfu Temple. Photo: Simon Song

However, the Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Company, which operates under the municipal government, was convinced that Wong was the right person to undertake the job, having seen what his company did with Shanghai Xintiandi and Shanghai’s Bridge 8 Creative Industrial Zone, which are considered successes.