SMITHFIELD – Former President George H.W. Bush will help Bryant University launch a project to replicate in Rhode Island a well-known building from Beijing’s Forbidden City, the university said today.

Although few details were released, Bryant officials said Bush will join Chinese entrepreneur Fan Jianchuan and Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley in unveiling a scale model of the Shu Fang Zhai (pronounced Shoo Fong Jai) building on May 17.

The university, home to a U.S.-China Institute, said a full-scale version of the building will be constructed in China, then disassembled and shipped to Smithfield, where it will be reconstructed. A university spokesperson said more information about the project will be made public at the May 17 event.

This is the first time the Chinese government has approved such a project outside mainland China.

The 178-acre Forbidden City – now known as the Palace Museum – is an ancient imperial palace and a popular tourist destination in Beijing.

The Shu Fang Zhai has never been open to the public, instead having served as a reception area for heads of states and visiting dignitaries. Bush has visited the building several times, the university said.

Bryant University is a business, liberal arts and technology school with more than 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students. To learn more, visit www.bryant.edu.

Images and information from a rare VIP tour of the Palace Museum, including the Shu Fang Zhai, are available online at PeregrineTravelGroup.com.