146 years after Anglo-French Forces stormed into Beijing's Yuanmingyan and burnt it to the ground, a Chinese private foundation announced that it would build a replica of the famous royal gardens.

The China Culture Relics Protection Foundation and privately-owned Zhejiang Hengdian Foundation for Chinese Cultural Development, led by 72-year-old Xu Wenrong, will collaborate on the replica project.

They intend to build the replica in Hengidan in Zhejiang Province.

Funds will be raised in China and overseas to build the replica and collect cultural treasures from the garden, said Xu Wenrong, chairman of Zhejiang Hengdian Foundation for Chinese Cultural Development.

"The replica will be a 1:1 imitation of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) complex, featuring the three main building clusters of Yuanming, Changchun and Yichuan gardens. It will cover more than 400 hectares, and 40 percent will be water," said chief designer Zhang Xianchun.