New Yuanming Palace in the Lanpu Community of Gongbei is to be converted into an urban central park with retained signature architecture and enriched cultural and tourism facilities.

Zhuhai Jiuzhou Urban Central Park Development is drafting the renovation plan, according to a recent notice posted by the Xiangzhou Urban Renovation Bureau.

A cultural art center and hotel will be built in the area. Architecture on the south-north central axis and French-styled buildings from the main entrance off Lanpu Road to the base of Banzhang Mt will be retained and have façades upgraded to serve as a "cultural parlor" in the city center.

New Yuanming Palace [Photo by Chen Jiazhe / Zhuhai Media Group]

Moreover, the low-density garden-styled public space will also be retained and the promenade layout, lakeside landscape, and water quality will be improved.

Better service is anticipated with unified signals, garbage classification, and separation of pedestrians and vehicles. Software and hardware will be upgraded for a "smart," immersive, and sharing experience.

In the meantime, the Lanpu Industrial Zone from south of New Yuanming Palace to Jiuzhou Avenue will be repurposed as a comprehensive cultural-tourism-commercial area with hotels and businesses. The upgrade will improve landscaping and support services while also eliminating traffic jams and difficulties in finding parking spaces.

As a further enhancement, construction of the Banzhang Mt-hugging Jingshan Trail will expand the sightseeing area of New Yuanming Palace to City Balcony off Lovers Avenue.

Opened in 1997, New Yuanming Palace was one of the first national AAAA-Level scenic sites in Zhuhai. The park has 18 sites simulating on a 1:1 scale those of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan) in Beijing. It became admission-free in 2013 but lately has lacked operating revenue for maintenance.

Once the upgrade is completed, New Yuanming Palace will open to visitors around-the-clock for free with all-new night views and services.