Situated in the Yulei Mountains in Dujiangyan City in west China's Sichuan Province, Erwang Temple was built over 2,000 years ago to commemorate Li Bing and his son, the two engineers who built the Dujiangyan irrigation system, which was listed as a World Heritage site in 2000.

Because the temple lies right on seismic fault lines, it was seriously damaged in the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Almost all the ancient buildings collapsed.

According to Fan Tuoyu, head of the Dujiangyan Cultural Relics Bureau, the site will be restored to its original condition. "The reconstruction will make use of all the original bricks and tiles saved from the debris, and new materials used in construction will be processed so as to match the original materials," said Fan.

During reconstruction, the current pillars of brick will be replaced by wooden structures that are earthquake resistant, similar to traditional Chinese wooden structures.

To address the area's humid climate, bio lacquer refined from local lacquer trees will cover the surface of new buildings. The technology is complicated and expensive, but this kind of bio lacquer protects buildings against decay and worms. The color and luster of the temple buildings' surface will therefore be well preserved.

Right now, 50 percent of the temple project has been completed, with the whole project slated for completion by September 30.

(Reporting from Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province)