A 30-billion yuan replica of the 'Old Summer Palace' officially opens in the city of Hengdian in East China's Zhejiang Province on May 10, 2015. [Photo: CFP]

A replica of the "Old Summer Palace" has opened in the city of Hengdian in Zhejiang.

Covering over 400 hectares, the 30-billion yuan site is almost identical to the layout of the "Old Summer Palace's" architecture.

The replica is slated for completion in 2016.

Xu Wenrong, founder of the Hengdian Group behind the project, says they wanted to stay true to the original design concept of the Palace.

"We found everything, separated the materials out one by one, because they were all stuck together. We pieced them together, these materials are complete. There's no expert in the entire country that has these materials, and what's more we can say even more that the old summer palace doesn't have them. I'm telling everyone, these buildings are absolutely the same [as the original old summer palace]."

The new complex in Hengdian has been built with some controversy surrounding it.

Operators of the original "Old Summer Palace" have threatened to sue the Hengdian group for infringement of intellectual property rights, claiming the original complex is unique and can't be replicated.

The "Old Summer Palace," located in northwestern Beijing, is a complex of pavilions and gardens built for Qing Dynasty emperors.

It was ransacked by foreign powers in the mid-19th century.

Author： 　　　Source：CRI　　　 Editor：Yang Fan