China is making an effort to restore the majestic grandeur of the Forbidden City by the government starting a sweeping renovation of a 233-meter-long section of the palace walls.

The opening ceremony for the first stage of construction was held at the Palace Museum on Saturday, November 26.

Originally built in the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City walls have stood for around 600 years.

The section of the city wall under restoration that has shown distinct signs of wear and tear is located north of the First Historical Archives inside the Xihua Gate.

Director of the Palace Museum, Shan Qixiang, said a comprehensive survey on the section of the wall has been carried out and a scientific renovation plan had been made.

The restoration work would focus on the inside of the city wall and the stones that it's built upon.

This section of the wall has been restored a number of times, including twice between 1930s and 1970s, as well as several times in the 1990s.

Located in the heart of Beijing, the Forbidden City, built between 1408 and 1420, is now known as the Palace Museum.

It is the world's biggest palace and was home to China's Imperial rulers from the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).

Source: english.cri.cn