An artist's impression of the new replica of Beijing's Old Summer Palace.

The newly built replica of Beijing's Old Summer Palace or Yuanmingyuan, an imperial summer resort destroyed in 1860 by British and French forces, will open to the public on May 10 in Hengdian of east China's Zhejiang province, a Hollywood-like film shooting base in the country. It is about 1,400 km south of where the original gardens once stood in Beijing, China News Service reported.

The new Yuanmingyuan, built to the scale of the original, will have 95 percent of the original ancient architecture restored.

The new garden, which started construction in May 2012, occupies 6,200 mu (413 hectares). The total investment reached about 30 billion yuan ($5 billion).

The original imperial garden were built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a garden for the emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to reside and work. The garden, known for its magnificence and beauty, was destroyed during the Second Opium War in 1860.

The restoration took place with the consultation of a council of more than 100 historians and experts, and is funded by donations.

The Spring garden will be opening soon, followed by the Summer, Autumn and Winter gardens, which are slated for completion in 2016.

The new garden will feature modern technology including lasers and LED lighting to entertain visitors.