Now the deputy director of the college of architecture and urban planning at Tongji University, Huang headed the restoration project himself.

"We had three-dimensional scanning done before dismantling the structure,"Huang says, "so that the imagery can be used in the future when it has to be rebuilt again".

To remain as faithful to the original design as possible, Huang managed to find 4- to 6-year-old bamboo from Anji in Zhejiang province, and sourced the thatch in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province.

He also added a new wall across the river to the south of the pavilion and says that Feng Jizhong had plans for the design of the teahouse that were not completed due to a lack of funds. "By adding this wall, the project extends to the other side of the river, and the landscape becomes complete," Huang says."The Helou Xuan was Feng Jizhong's last project, and he considered it his best."

"Lots of elderly people spend the whole day here when the weather is fine," says Xiao He, who works in the park administration.

From inside the pavilion, people can see rays of sunlight in the morning, and shadow arches created by the wall. Anyone who enjoys a cup of tea, or a game of Chinese chess will enjoy spending time at the pavilion watching the changing light.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn