HEFEI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Four Hui-style historic residences purchased by Chinese movie star Jackie Chan will be restored in east China's Anhui Province.

The buildings, which date back to the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), are all wood-structured.

Pieces of the buildings have started to arrive at the Moon on the Lake museum in the city of Bengbu, where they will be restored. The museum is home to a variety of historic buildings from all over China. At present, 450 buildings are being restored there.

Chan told Xinhua that he is passionate about purchasing and restoring Chinese historic buildings which can no longer be protected in their original location.

"The historic buildings I have purchased faced various problems," he said. "Some of them have been burnt, others to be demolished."

Chan said his team had located professional artisans capable of restoring the architecture, while searching for the right place to relocate them.

Chan's efforts to purchase and restore historic buildings are widely considered of great significance in preserving the traditional culture of Chinese architecture.

However, Chan courted controversy in 2013 when he donated several Chinese historic buildings to Singapore. In response, he said he would restore more of the Chinese treasures he has collected in China.

Chan said he is considering sending more residences to the museum in Bengbu.