|
Constructed during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors in the
Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), the Summer Palace has since been
expanded continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911),
it had become a luxurious royal garden resort for imperial families.
Originally named "Qingyi Garden", meaning Garden with Clear Ripples,
the Summer Palace is known as one of the famous 'three hills and
five gardens", including Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and
Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting
Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility
and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure. Like most of
the gardens in Beijing, the Summer
Palace did not elude the rampages
of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888,
Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her
own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace or Yiheyuan in
Chinese. She spent most of her later years here dealing with state
affairs and enjoying the entertained life. In 1900, it suffered
disaster again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force.
After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the
public.
Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, the Summer
Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares, three quarters of which are
covered by water. Featured with the natural scenes, the artists and
architects have designed this garden exquisitely so visitors could
see marvelous views and be amazed by perfect examples of fine
craftwork using the finest materials in the world.
Centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense or Foxiangge, there
are over 3,000 structures in the Summer Palace, including
pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors. It has been divided into
four sub-gardens, i.e., the courtyard, front-hill garden,
front lakes, rear hill garden and back lakes.
Front Hill Area. This garden has majority of buildings and is
the most magnificent area in the Summer Palace. It has a quite
distinctive layout, in which most important buildings are situated
on a hilltop that makes the central axis for the Summer Palace with
the yard of Kunming Lake. Major buildings in this area include Gate
of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of
Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Moral Glory,
Tower of Buddhist
Incense, the Hall of
Wisdom Sea.
Rear-hill and Back-lake area. Although this area does not have
as many structures as the Front-hill area, it is featured by unique
landscaping such as dense green trees and winding paths. As a
tourist, you can feel a rare tranquility and elegance. The key
scenic spots in this area are
Kunming Lake and
Back Lake, which presents a tranquil beauty;
Garden of Harmonious Interest
, a replica of southern China's classical gardens; and
Suzhou Market Street,
built with a style similar to the famous water town Suzhou.
Courtyard. This is where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu
used to meet with their officials, perform state duties and take
rests. After entering the
East Palace Gate,
you will see a series of the palace buildings, including the
Hall of Benevolence and
Longevity that served as the office of the Emperor,
the Hall of Jade Ripples
where Guangxu lived, the Hall
of Joyful Longevity, Cixi's residence,
the Garden of Virtue and
Harmony where Cixi was entertained,
Yiyun House that once
was the residence of Empress Longyu, and
Long Gallery, the longest
garden in China.
Front Lake Area. Covering a larger part of the Summer Palace, this
area opens up the vista of the lake. A breeze fluttering, waves
gleam and willows kiss the ripples of the vast water. This
comfortable area include several scenic spots like the Eastern and
Western Bank,
Seventeen-Arch Bridge,
South Lake Island,
Bronze Ox and
Marble Boat that
was built in western style with elaborate decorations. There are six
unique bridges floating over the west bank, among which the Jade
Belt Bridge is one of the most attractive architectures in the
Summer Palace.
|
China
as a national key cultural relics protection site of the country. Containing
great examples of the ancient arts, the Summer Palace also has graceful
landscapes and magnificent palace style constructions. The Summer Palace
is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most notable
and classical gardens in the world. In 1998, it was enlisted as the World
Heritage Site by UNESCO and has since become one of hot tourist attractions
for foreign visitors.
Tourist Information
