Chinanews, Beijing, Sept. 20 – The Hengdian Group in Zhejiang province recently said that it planned to invest 20 billion yuan to build another Yuanmingyuan park within the next five years. The new park will cover 350 hectares, about the size of the current Yuanmingyuan park.

 

“The current Yuanmingyuan park records a humiliating event occurring in China in 1860. By rebuilding the Yuanmingyuan park, we hope to recover its glorious past before 1860,” said Xu Wenrong, general manager of the project.

 

Their preparation work started many years ago. Xu diclosed that most of the funds needed for building the park would come from social donations and through special investing programs. Part of the funds raised will be used for building the park and the rest for buying back the treasures seized by foreigners.

 

Yuan Yisan, a professor from the Tongji University State Historical and Cultural City Research Center, expressed his disapproval for their plan.

 

“The authentic Yuanmingyuan Park was already destroyed in the flame set by the Eight-Power Allied Forces in 1860. The current ruined Yuanmingyuan Park can serve as a witness to that part of the history. The rebuilding will not have much significance,” Yuan said.

 

Those who support the plan say that the Eight-Power Allied Forces tried to destroy ancient Chinese civilization, whereas the rebuilding aims to restore Chinese traditions and educate posterity in China's traditions.

 

There are now 2,500 theme parks in China built with a total investment of 150 billion yuan. However, only 10% of these theme parks are profitable.