Illustration: Peter Espina/GT

"Most of the painters mastering the craft of Su style color painting on the corridor [in Summer Palace] are retired. The renovation may destroy the ancient patterns."

Yang Bosheng, a researcher specializing in Su style color painting in Chinese royal gardens, said of his concerns about the protection of the old craft. One corridor with more than 14,000 color paintings in the Summer Palace, which was first built in 1754, displays the best Su artworks in China. The paintings have been renovated three times: in 1940, 1959 and 1979. Recently, a controversy arose over whether or not to launch a fourth renovation. Some experts support the plan while others are reluctant, worrying that the absence of skilled craftsmen will pose difficulties, and that the currently used techniques will hardly help in restoring the paintings' original patterns. (Source: The Beijing Youth Daily)