The construction of Yuanming Yuan, considered China's most beautiful garden historically, began in 1709 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), who gave the imperial residence its name, meaning Garden of Perfect Brightness. Yuanming Yuan (Old Summer Palace) is situated in northwest of Beijing, between Tsinghua University and Yihe Yuan (New Summer Palace). However, the garden met with a tragic end when it was burnt, desecrated and looted by Anglo-French Forces in 1860, humiliating the nation. At the time it was still under construction.

At the height of its existence, Yuanming Yuan was a repository of the best Chinese art and literature the country had to offer. Its interior was resplendent in a variety of precious antiques, jewelry and artcrafts. Using water as a focal point, Yuanming Yuan was designed around several lakes, the largest known as the "Sea of Fortune" and contained more than 60 scenic spots, each one seemingly more breathtaking than the previous.

Today all that remains of the beauty of master craftsmen and visionaries is an empty park, dotted with some unimpressive modern structures. Many plans mooted to rebuild Yuanming Yuan to its former glory have all proved way too expensive.

Hengdian Group, which is operating the biggest movie base in Asia, recently announced to rebuild Yuanming Yuan, in its original size, in the small town of Hengdian, east China's Zhejiang Province. According to its plan, the rebuilding will cost 20 billion yuan ($2.74 billion), which will all be collected from public donations, domestic and international businesses.

Opponents of the plan greatly outnumber supporters. For the opponents, Yuanming Yuan is more a symbol of humiliation than of art. Thus the rebuilding of the park will not necessarily promote Chinese pride and the wisest choice is to leave the ruined garden as it is, they say.

However, proponents of the plan believe that a striking comparison of the rebuilt palace with the remains of the damaged one will remind the young of the humiliation the Chinese experienced in the past.

Commercial ventures require tolerance

Liu Chuhan (www.people.com.cn): The relic site of Yuanming Yuan speaks for the untold humiliation and disgrace China was subjected to. Thus, it's natural to hear criticism about rebuilding the garden.

While the new Yuanming Yuan is being built, people can feel its cultural and artistic significance. This will produce a striking comparison to the gloomy site in Beijing. Instead of forgetting the national disgrace, the Chinese will keep a stronger memory of history.

Maybe, some people are opposed to the rebuilding of Yuanming Yuan because the new site will be in Hengdian, a commercial movie base. But there is nothing wrong to see commercial motivation in the reconstruction. Commerce does not necessarily go against national emotion and 20 billion yuan is not a small sum. The commercial operation will help to collect the necessary capital, which is better than eating into the state financial budget.

Nowadays, China's traditional culture is fading, faced with the import of all kinds of foreign cultures and we tend to blame the government for inputting too little in protecting our heritage. Isn't it another way to preserve traditional culture by making use of the people's money?

From the perspective of history, the reconstruction should not be conducted on the old site, but, in order to carry on the traditional culture, reconstruction seems really necessary. So, why not show some tolerance to the commercial reconstruction, which is also a practical method in the current economic development stage the country is in.

Chen Yizhou (Southeastern Express): Some people believe that in no sense should the symbol of national disgrace to be reproduced. However, if some commercial organizations are capable enough, both financially and technically, to replicate Yuanming Yuan and show its ancient beauty and magnificence in the modern time, it's not necessarily a bad thing to do so. While a magnificent picture of the old days is reproduced, the Chinese are able to feel the "pain" of their civilization and glorious history being demolished. The striking comparison between the past and the present gardens may teach us a profound lesson.

No one is expected to forget the huge disgrace and humiliation the Chinese were subjected to. On one hand, we should try to protect the site of Yuanming Yuan, so that it can always serve as a reminder of history; on the other hand, we should also be tolerant to commercial undertakings like this.

Lei Hui (www.jxnews.com.cn): To rebuild Yuanming Yuan will by no means damage the original site, as the reconstruction will be carried out in Hengdian and visitors can get a better understanding of the old through the new.

Some are worried that Hengdian Group might lose money in this business, arguing that 70 percent of China's 2,500 theme parks are operating at a loss. This worry is unnecessary. Twenty billion yuan is a huge investment. The developers must have carried out careful feasibility studies before they made the decision. Even if they finally lose money, it's no one else's business.

Tang Yao (China Youth Daily): Some people argue that Hengdian Group wants to make money by announcing that it would like to present to the world the marvelous artistic level of the original Yuanming Yuan before it was destroyed in 1860. Even if it's true, there is nothing wrong in that. The public should not place too much expectation on this venture and if the project fails, no one is to blame.

Among the many doubts, one is "what does the Hengdian Group really want?" For those who ask this question, they believe the developers are making profits by "selling a national disgrace" and they pay no attention to the suffering the nation has experienced. If this logic works, when movies depicting the torching of Yuanming Yuan are screened, should we blame the cinemas for making money by selling a national disgrace?

Money can't replace history

Ye Tingfang (Guangming Daily): We find no reasons to justify the plan to rebuild the garden on another site except the curiosity about the recovering of ancient buildings. I don't think it is a re-creation, but reflects that the Chinese are lack of creativity.

Yuanming Yuan was built at the cost of the then national financial resources and the wisdom of several generations of craftsmen. The construction was not completed after 150 years' efforts. Can we ensure the architectural and art quality if the reconstruction is carried out? It's impossible to find so many excellent craftsmen as at the time Yuanming Yuan was built and it's even harder to recover the whole artistic system of the garden. Besides, we don't have the materials that were used for the construction. In conclusion, we are unable to restore the original beauty of this mysterious complex.

Among UNESCO's 700 or so cultural heritage sites of humanity, most are relics, and never is there any reconstruction of these remains!

Xi Xuchu (www.jcrb.com.cn): A rebuilt Yuanming Yuan is nothing but another theme park, added to the many existing ones. To claim that the new park will show the original imperial residence's magnificence before 1860 is just an excuse to carry out the construction. Yuanming Yuan is well-known as the "Garden of Gardens." It used to be the result of all of the excellent architectural techniques in ancient China, representing the peak of China's ancient gardens, unprecedented and with no rival in the future.

Today's dilapidated Yuanming Yuan is of unique historical significance: It is a symbol of the bright history and culture China used to boast about and also that of the humiliation imposed on this nation. This site will make the human race ponder upon the past barbaric actions against human civilization. While feeling the beauty of this ancient garden, the Chinese also come here to recall the nation's past strength and downfall. The old site of Yuanming Yuan can't be replaced by any newly built garden named Yuanming Yuan.

Twenty billion yuan is expected to be raised to set up a so-called Yuanming Yuan, but no amount of money can recapture the essence of the garden. The one built in the 21st century is different and no match for the original 19th-century masterpiece.

Another excuse to rebuild Yuanming Yuan is to promote the traditional culture. However, to protect traditional culture and historical treasure is not to build fake ancient gardens. It's better to spend the 20 billion yuan on the preservation of ancient relics in danger than to try to replicate something that is impossible to resurge.

Ou Muhua (www.jcrb.com.cn): Is it possible to really present to the world the extraordinary art of Yuanming Yuan? It's been 140 years since the park was destroyed. We have no architectural blueprint, no pictures of all the scenic spots at that time. What we have now are incomplete materials and a few relics of the imperial residence in Beijing. It seems impossible to reproduce a Yuanming Yuan capable to compare with the old one. Possibly, the ultimate product is a strange construction. If we call such a thing "Yuanming Yuan," it's a shame to our ancestors and it's a humiliation to the rich art of the Chinese.

Therefore, if this movie base is to be called Yuanming Yuan and to be decorated with national treasures, pretending to show some historical significance, while construction funds are collected in the name of rebuilding Yuanming Yuan, it's harmful to the emotions of the Chinese people and disrespectful of the past.