A garden destroyed during a nation's most traumatic years is bound to be revived in times of prosperity. In 1983 the State Council endorsed the General Plan for the Construction of Beijing. This document defined the ways and means for the development of Yuanmingyuan as a historic park. Yet, due to events in recent history, more than 2,000 mu (1 mu=1/15 hectare) of land in the park had been converted into farmland. To find a way out for the farmers, therefore, became a difficult problem. In September 1984 this problem was solved. At the suggestion of Zhang Huanwu, Du Hui, Shi Dingchao and other leaders of the Haidian District, and with the support of the Institute for the Study of Yuanmingyuan and people from all walks of life, the Administrative Office launched a project to rally the efforts of the farmers to develop the park collectively. This marked another major step for the reconstruction of Yuanmingyuan.
    To highlight the characteristics of the ruins, the Administrative Office has put them under meticulous care during the course of restoration. They have cleared certain sites, and erected description boards for the benefit of visitors. Over the past decade, they have repaired bridges, paved roads, cleared lakes, and reforested the hills. Furthermore, they have built many service facilities and purchased more than 300 pleasure-boats to ply the serene waters of the garden. Thus visitors from all over the world can now capture some of the original beauty of this summer resort, and appreciate the glamour of more than a dozen replicas of ancient buildings, under the cooling shade of glorious trees. The district and municipal authorities and the former State Education Commission also designated Yuanmingyuan as a national education base.
    Having been open to the public for a decade. Yuanmingyuan still has a long way to go to become a full-fledged park of historic ruins. For example, its western part is crying for development , and more funds are needed for this, as well as for many other purposes. The Administrative Office is making every effort to tackle these difficulties so that they can complete the restoration of the park in the early 21th century.