Many parts of Shanxi have seen temperatures drop below 0 C, but workers are working full steam ahead at the repair construction site of the Puzhou Ruins, or Puzhou Ancient City, in the south of the province.

"At the moment, bricklaying work on the outward wall is intensely under way, and the original appearance of the north city wall will be recovered next year," said Zhang Chaoyang, an official in charge of the local cultural relic’s preservation management department. The State Administration of Cultural Heritage invested 21 million yuan ($3.42 million) into recovering the eastern part of the Puzhou Ruins city wall, which is expected to be finished next year.

Photo taken on Nov 15 shows the workers at the repair construction site of the Puzhou Ruins, or Puzhou Ancient City, in the south of the Shanxi province in North China. [Photo by Wang Feihang/Xinhua]

The city sits along the Yellow River bank, Shanxi's Yongji city, and was founded during the Northern Wei Dynasty (368-557). Some part of the city was flooded over when the country was building the Sanmenxia reservoir in 1958. The existing relics consist of two parts - the exterior and the interior. It runs 2.49 kilometers from west to east and 1.71 kilometers from south to north. It covers an area of 4.26 square kilometers and is a valuable treasure to study the development of China's ancient city wall. It was named a national major culture relic protection site by the State Council in 2001.

The recovery project involves a total investment of 21 million yuan, is 10.78 meters high and spans 517.49 meters. It features a brick structure and involves city wall brickwork, a rammed earth wall, a riding track and drainage gutter.

Photo taken on Nov 15 shows the weathered city wall of Puzhou Ruins in North China’s Shanxi province. [Photo by Wang Feihang/Xinhua]

Zhang Chaoyang said that the recovery project was based on the original look of the city wall and followed protocols on ancient architecture. The technical process features primitive manual work and specially made archaized blue bricks. At the same time, the professional supervisory unit was hired to conduct onsite inspection throughout the project.

A construction worker walks through the North Gate of Puzhou Ruins in North China’s Shanxi province on May 16, 2014. [Photo by Li Xiangdong/Xinhua]

At the moment, the first phase project, seeking the old city wall's foundation, has basically been finished. The interior wall, which is 410 meters long and 3 meters high, has been completed. Construction of the exterior wall, that will be 517 meters long, is under way.