Beijing Scenery Collection 1 (Complete 4 Volumes)

Author: Zhang Min et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The Summer Palace is located in Haidian District in the northwest of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved and largest imperial garden in China, as well as one of the world's most famous tourist destinations. It is classified as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit. Originally, the Summer Palace was an imperial palace and garden. In 1750, Emperor Qianlong rebuilt it as the Qingyi Garden. In 1860, Qingyi Garden was destroyed by the Anglo-French. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi used 30 million taels of silver from the naval budget to rebuild it, renaming it the Summer Palace and turning it into a summer resort. By 1900, the Summer Palace suffered further damage from the "Eight-Nation Alliance," with many buildings burned down. It was repaired in 1903. Later, during the warlord and Kuomintang rule, it suffered further destruction. After the liberation, it underwent continuous restoration, bringing this ancient garden back to life. The Summer Palace covers an area of 290 hectares (4,350 acres), with about three-quarters of it being water. The entire garden is centered around the 41-meter-tall Foshan Pavilion on Wanshou Mountain, with exquisite buildings such as halls, pavilions, towers, corridors, and pavilions arranged according to different locations and terrain. A 728-meter-long corridor is built at the foot of the mountain, connecting various buildings and lush green hills like a colorful ribbon. The artistic design of the Summer Palace is ingenious, holding a significant place in the history of Chinese and foreign garden arts. It is a rare masterpiece of garden art worldwide. The Summer Palace mainly consists of Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain, covering a total area of over 290 hectares. The Foshan Pavilion on Wanshou Mountain, the copper pavilion, the 1,000-meter-long gallery by the lake, and the 17-arch bridge and stone boat in Kunming Lake are all must-visit attractions. The Summer Palace is located in the western suburbs of Beijing, about 10 kilometers away from the city. You can take suburban public buses or special tour buses to reach it. The Beijing Badaling Hot Spring Resort is located 75 kilometers northwest of Beijing, with a 40-minute drive via the Badaling Expressway. It is situated at the central location of tourist attractions such as the Badaling Great Wall, the Badaling Wildlife Park, Longqingxia, Shijinglong Ski Resort, and the Songshan Primary Forest Nature Reserve in Xianju, the summer capital. It is an international three-star resort hotel that combines accommodation, dining, entertainment, conferences, and tourism. Entering the European-style Badaling Hot Spring Resort, the red-tiled white-walled buildings and the beautiful environment of distant mountains, near waters, small bridges, and green grass will instantly uplift your spirits. The Badaling Hot Spring Resort has 381 rooms across 10 categories, ranging from high-end to budget, capable of accommodating over 800 guests simultaneously. The 24-hour hot spring water in the rooms originates from 2,000 meters underground, with an outlet temperature of 54°C, and the water quality is excellent, containing various minerals essential for the human body such as iron, sulfur, silicon, and trace elements, which are beneficial for health and skincare. The dining options include Huaiyang, Sichuan-Canton, local specialties, hot spring hotpot, lakeside barbecue, and more, catering to different tastes. The water stage adds a romantic touch to your dining experience. With ten conference rooms, multi-functional halls, a conference center, and advanced simultaneous interpretation equipment, the resort can host various domestic and international conferences to meet your business needs. The Badaling Hot Spring Resort's most distinctive feature is its indoor hot spring water park, covering 4,800 square meters. It includes a standard swimming pool, a wave pool, a slide pool, a children's play pool, a hot spring massage pool, and a Sichuan-style hot spring bath. It is the perfect water park for relaxation and fun. The Recreation Center also offers bowling, billiards, table tennis, sandball, badminton, tennis, video games, darts, movie halls, karaoke, sauna, outdoor rock climbing, fishing, ice skating, boating, and go-karting, allowing you to truly experience leisure and relaxation. Here, the paths are serene and tranquil, free from the hustle and pollution of the city—almost a paradise. The resort also offers buffet parties, lakeside barbecues, and the water stage, adding endless charm. Amidst the tranquil night, enjoy the serenity and comfort of the rural outskirts. Come! Let's escape the hustle of the city and meet at the Badaling Hot Spring Resort.
The Yonghe Palace is located on Yonghe Palace Street in Dongcheng District. It was originally the Qing Yongqing Royal Mansion, the residence of the Yongzheng Emperor before his accession. In 1736, it was converted into a palace and renamed Yonghe Palace. In 1748, it was transformed into a Tibetan Buddhist temple, commonly known as a Lamasery. In 1961, it was declared a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the State Council. Today, 14 halls are open to the public. The Yonghe Palace faces south and consists of five courtyards, with a well-organized and strict layout. The towering red walls, yellow glazed tiles, and majestic halls exude an imperial grandeur. Passing through the gate tower courtyard, Zhaotai Gate, and Yonghe Gate, visitors arrive at the third courtyard, which features the Qianlong Emperor's inscribed "Lama Saying" stele pavilion. The stele inside is inscribed in Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. On both sides are the Four Learning Halls: the Lecture Hall, the Esoteric Hall, the Medicine Hall, and the Mathematics Hall, where monks study Buddhist scriptures, medicine, astronomy, and geography. At the northern end of the courtyard is the Yonghe Palace, housing the Three Sages Buddha. The main hall of the fourth courtyard is the Dharmachakra Hall, which enshrines the image of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa sect. The walls are adorned with Buddhist story murals, and it preserves 315 volumes of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon and the Continuation Canon. On both sides are the Panchen Lama Hall and the Precepts Platform Hall. The Panchen Lama Hall exhibits the daily utensils of past lamas and nearly 300 exquisite Buddhist artifacts and statues. The Precepts Platform Hall displays the Golden Urn used for selecting reincarnated lamas and some artifacts from the Qianlong era. Passing through the Dharmachakra Hall, visitors arrive at the final courtyard—the famous Wanshou Pavilion. Inside, it enshrines a 18-meter-tall wooden statue of Maitreya, carved from a single piece of sandalwood, considered a masterpiece in the world. In addition to the original arrangement, the pavilion also exhibits the "Qing Dynasty Tibetan Gift Exhibition" and "Tibetan Buddhism and Yonghe Palace," introducing the history of the palace to visitors.
The Beijing Grand View Garden is a highly distinctive classical garden in the capital. Within its 13-hectare area, over 40 pavilions, towers, and courtyards are complemented by mountainous water systems, blooming flowers, and rare trees, creating an earthly paradise. Red scholars believe it realizes the "dream beyond the dream" of Dream of the Red Chamber, while architectural scholars consider it a fusion of Red Chamber studies, classical architecture, and traditional landscape design. Literary scholars credit it with creating a new model that combines film and television set design with garden construction. Cultural relic scholars argue it has added a new concept of "literary garden" to Chinese garden design, creating a potential cultural heritage site that serves as a Red Chamber cultural (art) museum and a true artifact of the future. The artistic charm and profound value of the Grand View Garden have been widely recognized by society. Over the past 15-16 years, it has welcomed nearly 26 million visitors, including heads of state and military officials from dozens of countries. The Beijing Grand View Garden eagerly awaits the arrival of countless Red Chamber dreamers to witness its beauty in person.