Huge replica of imperial palace opens its doors to the public in China
Officials in charge of the real ruins of the Old Summer Palace threatening legal action over the tourist attraction in Zhejiang province
A replica of a former imperial palace in Beijing has been partially opened to the public in eastern China, a newspaper reported.
Visitors were allowed into completed areas of the recreated Old Summer Palace, built by the film company Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang province, on Sunday, The Beijing News reported.
It is due to be fully opened to the public next year.
Officials in charge of the ruins of the real Old Summer Palace are considering taking legal action against the project, state media reported last month, alleging it infringes on intellectual property rights.
The original palace, called Yuanmingyuan in Chinese, was built in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860.
The replica covers more than 400 hectares and has cost 30 billion yuan (HK$38 billion) to recreate, the newspaper said.
Xu Wenrong, one the main backers of the project, was quoted by the newspaper as saying there was no basis for claims of intellectual property right infringement as the site of the original palace in Beijing was a ruin.
Hengdian township is being developed into a huge film set and tourist attraction.
A replica has already been built of another imperial palace in Beijing, the Forbidden City.
