Chinese pavilion
Work on a larger Chinese Pavilion began in 1905. The building was originally intended to be a restaurant, but never served the purpose for which it was intended. In 1909, with the death of Leopold II, the original plan for a museum was abandoned and the building was donated to the Belgian state where it served as part of the Trade Museum of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1947 until 1989, the whole area was closed to visitors. The museums' section on Japanese art is housed in a building near the Chinese pavilion, originally intended to serve as a stable and garage for the complex.