Highlights:
Yuanmingyuan or Garden of Perfect Splendor is located in the northwest of Beijing, close to the Summer Palace. The park is also called the Old Summer Palace. The construction of the garden was started in 1707 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. It had been expanded in the next 150 years to become the largest and most magnificent imperial garden in the world. Yuanmingyuan was unique in that it was not only based on traditional Chinese gardening arts, the Western techniques and styles were also integrated into it.
Brief Introduction
Yuanmingyuan actually included three separate gardens. The one dating back to the Yongzheng period was called Yuanmingyuan and the other two gardens added in its vicinity under the Qianlong's reign were called Changchunyuan (Garden of Everlasting Spring) and Wanchunyuan (Garden of Eternal Spring). The three put together, Yuanmingyuan covered an area of nearly 350 hectares
History of Yuanmingyuan
On October 5, 1860, the Anglo-French Allied Armies occupied the town of Haidian in the northwest suburbs of the capital, and on October 7 the mad plunder of the garden began. Finally, Lord Elgin's cavalry set the gardens on fire, leaving them to burn for three days and three nights. After their retreat, repairs were begun, but in 1900 the Eight-Power Allied Forces, leaving it in completer ruin, brought further destruction upon the garden. Before long, members of the imperial household and the warlords of the early Republican period took whatever could be made use of from out of the rubble, including wood, stones, bricks or tiles, away.
Visitors can now stroll about the ruins and view the remains of the following sites: the "Vista of the Square Teapot" on the northeast bank of the Sea of Fortune (Fuhai); the Green Mountain Hut near the northwestern gate; the Jade Islet of Sages in the middle of the Sea of Fortune; the Magnanimity of the Seas and Hills in the West Lake of the Garden of Eternal Spring; Sravasti City, modeled after the capital of the ancient Indian state of Kosala, which was a repository for statues of the Buddha. The ruins of the high walls of this "city" can still be traced today; and the Source of Culture Pavilion (Wenyuange), which housed the collection of books known as the Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature . Besides the remains of the pavilion, one will also notice numerous specimens of Taihu Lake stone lying abandoned in a pool in its courtyard. In addition, other scattered stone fragments and the flagstones from stone paths can be found in various spots throughout the surrounding hills and meandering streams.
The most striking ruin in the whole garden is the complex of Western-style buildings, the construction of which began in 1746, the 10th year of Emperor Qianlong' s reign. Situated near the northern wall of the Garden of Eternal Spring, these buildings were designed by the Jesuits Castiglione and Benoit. They included the Observatory and Hall of Tranquility, which were decorated with fine fountains and pools in the style of Versailles. In addition, their roofs and walls were embellished with glazed tiles in brilliant colors.
It is hoped that before long the splendor of the garden will be restored and that this exquisite cultural relic, once the private playground of emperors, will be open to visitors from all over the world.
Featured Photoes
Recommended Travel Agencies:
Tour Beijing Travel Service
Headquarter:
Room 2001(20th Floor), Building No.01 of Linghangguoji, Nanxiaojie, Guangqumen, Chongwen District, Beijing, China 100061.
Tel: 86- 10-67160201
China Highlights
Headquarter:
China Highlights/ CITS Guilin,No.11 Binjiang Road, Guilin, GX541002, China
Tel: 800-2682918( Toll Free in USA)
800-8793-007( Toll Free in China)
China International travel service
Location:
China International Travel Service Guilin, 11 Binjiang Road, Guilin P.R. China, 541002
Tel: (86)773-2848195
Travelchinaguide:
Headquarter:
Suite 508, Yu Yuan Mansion, No.65 Nan Er Huan Xi Duan, Xian, P.R.C. 7100068.
Tel: (86)-29-852368-688
Toll Free:1-800-892-6988(USA&Canada)
+800-666-88666(Universal except USA)
800-840-9555(China Mainland)
Travel tips:
Address: Yuanmingyuan Lu, Haidian District, north of Peking University;
Entry ticket: 10 yuan; 35 yuan for through ticket;
Opening hours: 07:00 to 17:30 (winter); 07:00 to 19:00 (summer)
Traffic: Bus 706, 806, 717, 801, 810, and 973;
Tel: 86-10-62628501.
