Cold Wind of Jehol: Historical and Cultural Mysteries of the Chengde Mountain Resort

Author: Jin Quan, Yue Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Three hundred years ago, on a summer day in the wild, grass-covered Yan Mountains, the Kangxi Emperor, with his imperial whip, gave birth to a magnificent imperial garden in the midst of the untamed wilderness. This book begins with the broader context of the construction of the Chengde Mountain Resort, tracing the Emperor Kangxi's journey of the heart and meticulously depicting a series of long-forgotten historical scenes. The work unfolds in a vast and profound historical backdrop, with a dramatic plot and a sharp, cold brushstroke, presenting a panoramic view of the heyday of the Chengde Mountain Resort and its surrounding temples from different perspectives. It vividly portrays the architectural art and all the intrinsic essence of this UNESCO-listed garden, bringing it to life in a lifelike manner. The book features a rich cast of characters, spanning both China and the world, including the fierce struggles between princes, emperors and empresses, and empresses and officials, as well as the bloody clashes between nomadic tribes returning from afar and Russian soldiers in the vast desert. The arrogance of the celestial dynasty and the pride of the British envoy triggered a collision between two worlds. The decline and subsequent revival of the Chengde Mountain Resort and its surrounding temples provide a fresh perspective for thinking about modern Chinese history.