SHANGHAI, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) - After six years of renovation by the Italian fashion brand Prada, a century-old mansion in Shanghai opened to the public on Tuesday.
People can make reservations online to visit the mansion free of charge between October 17 and November 12.
The building will "serve as a unique site for the company's diverse activities in China," Prada said in a press release.
Teams of Italian and Chinese architects and craftsmen carried out the restoration campaign, repairing damage and reinstating the historic appearance of the building's interiors and exterior, while also completing necessary structural reinforcements and functional updates, it said.
Purchased by renowned tycoon Yung Tsoong-King in 1918, the mansion is one of Shanghai's finest Western-style garden villas. Yung was known in his day as the Flour King of China and is remembered as a self-made entrepreneur.
"My great-grandfather lived in the mansion with his family decades ago. They hosted their business partners there. The mansion will become a fashion and culture landmark for Shanghai after renovation," said John Yung, great-grandson of Yung Tsoong-King.
The mansion was listed as a cultural relic in Jing'an District in 2004 and designated as one of Shanghai's remarkable historic buildings in 2005.
