The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most grandiose hall of the world-famous Imperial Palace in downtown Beijing, will close for renovations starting from January 6 this year and reopen at the end of 2007, according to sources with the Palace Museum.

The Hall of Complete Harmony and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, two other magnificent halls in the Palace, will stay open during the renovation, said the sources.

Before the renovation, the area open to the public was only 250,000 square meters, 38 percent of the palace's ground space. But when it reopens, the area open to the public will increase by 12 percent to nearly 400,000 square meters, half of the palace's total area.

The project is part of larger efforts begun in 2001 to restore the imperial grandeur of the 585-year-old palace, the former residence of 24 emperors.

The ancient architecture repair center in the Palace Museum has taken measures to make up for the inconvenience to visitors, said a center official.

The Imperial Palace is China's biggest tourist attraction, drawing some 7 million visitors a year. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the most magnificent building in the palace as well as the place where all the emperor's administrative affairs were dealt with.

Decorated with thousands of dragons, the traditional symbol of the emperor's power, the hall is considered the most important part of the palace.

Source: Xinhua