Decoration on Main Gate of Ancient Beijing Coming off

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 ◆ Decoration on Main Gate of Ancient Beijing Coming off

Zhengyangmen, located at the south of Tian'anmen Square known as the main entrance to ancient Beijing, has seen part of its ornamentation falling off.

The white cement decoration was on the two side walls of the embrasured watchtower close to Zhengyangmen, according to Beijing Youth Daily. It was designed and added to the watchtower by a German architect in 1916.

There are also some crevices on the side walls, but they are normal, the head of a Beijing institute of ancient architecture surnamed Han was quoted as saying.

"It is time to repair the ancient buildings," Han said.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Relics has been working on a repair plan so as to start repairs as soon as possible.

Both Zhengyangmen and the watchtower, first built in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), were destroyed in 1900 by the allied forces made up of over 2,000 soldiers from Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, Italy and Austria which shot their way into Beijing and looted the 3,000-year-old city. The two buildings were then rebuilt.