Views of the Old Summer Palace from Renowned Figures

Author: Hou Renzhi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: The Yuanmingyuan, located in the northwest suburbs of Beijing, consists of the Yuanmingyuan, Changchunyuan, and Wanchunyuan, collectively known as the "Three Gardens of Yuanming." It covers an area of approximately 5,200 acres, with a perimeter of nearly 10 kilometers and a construction area of 160,000 square meters (equivalent to the construction area of the Beijing Forbidden City). Originally a garden from the Ming Dynasty, the Yuanmingyuan was transformed into a grand imperial palace garden through the efforts of six generations of emperors from Kangxi to Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty over more than 150 years, utilizing the nation's vast human, material, and financial resources. During the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, it was developed into a "palace for escaping the noise to govern" and became the second political activity center after the Forbidden City. Under Emperor Qianlong, when the Qing Dynasty was at its peak, the Yuanmingyuan was massively expanded. To the east of the Yuanmingyuan, the Changchunyuan was expanded, and to the southeast, the Wanchunyuan was extended. The layout of the Three Gardens of Yuanming was thus largely established. Emperor Qianlong made six southern tours, ordering the replication of scenic spots he admired in the Yuanmingyuan. In the Yuanmingyuan, there is an Anlangyuan; in the Changchunyuan, there is a Xiaotianyuan; and there are also the Shizilin and the Rulin. These four gardens were modeled after the "Four Famous Gardens of Jiangnan"—the Haijing Yuyuan in Haining, the Wang Family Garden in Hangzhou, the Shizilin in Suzhou, and the Zhan Garden in Nanjing. To the north of the Changchunyuan stands a group of Western-style palace buildings—the Xipinglou, which were meticulously constructed by Chinese craftsmen based on the designs of the Western missionary Giuseppe Castiglione during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The "Grand Waterworks" and the "Distant View Pavilion" in the Western-style garden area are mostly built of white stone. Although they are European-style buildings, they incorporate elements of traditional Chinese architectural art, blending East and West in a unique and exquisite way. The Yuanmingyuan is not only the crystallization of architectural art in China's feudal era but also a rare museum and art gallery in the world. The treasures of the Qing imperial family were not primarily in the palaces of the Forbidden City but in the Three Gardens of Yuanming. The garden housed many rare books from ancient times to the present, famous calligraphy and paintings, ancient bronze ritual vessels, artistic treasures, gold, jade, and porcelain antiques. The West called it the "Garden of Gardens," and indeed, the title is well-deserved. This book introduces the Yuanmingyuan as seen by renowned figures.