(ECNS) -- The Old Summer Palace, or Yuanmingyuan, has launched its third phase of "Restoration 1860" project.
This is the first time the European-style decorative glazed relics unearthed from Xiyang Lou (Western Mansions) ruins are being restored.
Xiyang Lou is a combination of Chinese and Western architectures.
The famous "Dashuifa" in Yuanmingyuan is located there.
The colored glaze pieces in Xiyang Lou are different from others, which is a kind of Baroque style decoration.
The original colors of Xiyang Lou were gorgeous and diverse.
People who have been there always think it is the color of gray marble, in fact, it is historically multicolored.
We want to restore the relics to what they looked like under the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), said Chen Hui, director of the Cultural Relics and Archaeology Department of the Old Summer Palace.
A total 24 pieces of unearthed porcelain will be restored during the third phase, including a blue bowl with a dragon and phoenix made during the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722).
Chen said due to the large number of relics and more detailed repair techniques, the third phase of "Restoration 1860" is expected to complete by the summer of 2021.
Seventeen cultural relics have been restored in the first two phases of the project.
