XI'AN, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- A park built on the ruins of a 1,300-year-old imperial palace in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, will showcase the culture and architecture of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) when it opens in October.
The National Daming Palace Relic Site Park covers an area of 3.5 square kilometers and it will open on October 1, China's national day, the conservation office of the relic site said in a press release Monday.
While two thirds of the park will open to the public for free admittance, an area showcasing the remains of what was once the largest imperial complex of the Tang Dynasty will charge an admittance fee of 60 yuan (8.8 U.S. dollars).
"We expect about 2 million visitors per year," said Zhou Bing, head of the conservation office.
Construction of the park cost about 12 billion yuan, about 9 billion of which was used to relocate residents from the area.
The Daming Palace was built in the year 634 AD and was the political and cultural center of the Tang Dynasty for 200 years before being destroyed in war in 896.
The palace was abandoned entirely after the Tang capital moved to Luoyang in central China's Henan Province in 904 AD.
The project to preserve the ruins was launched in October 2007. |
