With now one month away until building is set to begin, Bryant University is beginning to welcome China’s infamous Shu Fang Zhai onto Bryant’s campus. Shu Fang Zhai is a section of the Forbidden City. May 2008, President Machtley announced the reconstruction of this temple on Bryant’s campus at a special unveling ceremony where himself, ex-President George H.W. Bush and Chinese entrepreneur Fan Jinchuan all helped in unveling the scale model. With 5 years passing, there has been much specultation on Bryant’s campus on whether or not this is actually happening.
According to an article on Bryant’s website, “A Bryant University delegation met Nov. 8 (2012) with leaders of China’s Palace Museum, the body that manages the Forbidden City in Beijing, to build upon the three-year collaboration that will bring a reconstruction of the Shu Fang Zhai , a section of the Forbidden City, to the Bryant campus. Led by President Ronald K. Machtley, the delegation and museum officials established that a groundbreaking on the Bryant campus will be held in April 2013 as part of the University’s 150th anniversary celebration. Madam Xu Lin, director of Hanban in Beijing, plans to attend the groundbreaking ceremony. The first phase of the Shu Fang Zhai reconstruction is expected to be completed before the end of 2013.”
How exactly will this be built? Well, for starters, this is the first time the Chinese government is allowing any replication of the Forbidden City to be placed outside of its own country. Even Disney’s Epcot’s China country does not have this replication. The building will be an exact duplicate of a section of the Forbidden City and will be constructed in China. Like a puzzle, it will then be taken a part in pieces and stored in containers to be shipped overseas. From there, the building will be reassembled on Bryant’s campus. This building will become part of the U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute-Two institues on Bryant’s campus which provides students and faculty with global perspectives and experiences and furthur promotes U.S.-China exchanges for K-12 schools in New England. Once completed, this should cover about half an acre of land and cost a staggering $15 million.
Machtley quoted, “The Shu Fang Zhai at Bryant will serve as an iconic visual and functional cultural heritage site for the exchange of ideas and academic programs. It will become a unique and integrated facility for the expansion of future Bryant Chinese programs”. Bryant is already noted #14 in the nation for studying abroad, and is very well-known for its strong relations and ties to various universities and programs in China itself.
The Shu Fang Zhai is iconic in China as it was the center of government activitiy for about 600 years. The most famous emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Quinlong, used this landmark as a place of study. By the end of 2013, students affiliated with the U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute will be able to study here as well.