Prince Gong's mansion, Beijing's largest and best preserved princely home with a history of more than 230 years, fully opened to the public on Wednesday after two-and-a-half years of renovation.

The mansion, comprising a residential area and a garden, is located along the scenic Rear Lake north of the Forbidden City in the center of the capital. It was built in 1776 as the residence of Heshen, a privileged minister favored by Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), and it later became the home for several princes.

The 28,000-square-meter garden opened to the public in 1988. The newly opened area was the residence, with an area of 32,000 sq m.

About 9,800 sq m of existing buildings in the residential area were renovated and craftsmen built another 2,200 sq m of buildings, relying on records of the original sites.

The whole project cost about 200 million yuan (US$29.1 million).

The mansion museum also offers a collection of pictures and documents about princes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as well as antique furniture, royal clothing, porcelain and other daily items.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2008)