The renovated buildings of four former consulates to China -- those of Britain, the United States, Japan and Denmark -- went on show in east China's coastal city of Yantai for the week-long Labor holiday.
The buildings were part of 17 consulates built on Yantai Mountain after the second Opium War initiated by British and French invaders in the mid 19th century. Yantai Mountain, though only 42.5 meters high, was a symbol of China's semi-colonial history.
The diverse architectural styles and cultures of the consulates formed a unique city landscape. In 1999, local government administrators and architectural experts from Tsinghua University drew up a plan for turning the site into a park.
The reconstruction, which started in August 2000, attracted a total investment of more than 10 million yuan.
During the holiday six museums were also opened, showing Peking Opera, folk art, ancient clocks, Yantai history and the building of the city.
(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2002)
