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The
Old Summer Palace which is also known as the Ruins
of the Yuanmingyuan (the Garden of Perfection and
Light) is located northwest of Beijing and to the
east of the (present-day) Summer Palace. The Garden
was first constructed in the year of 1709 during the
reign of the Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911). Over the next 150 years of the Qing
Dynasty, this Garden was expanded to be a
large-scale Chinese emperors' private pleasure
garden, covering a total area of 350 hectares (over
864 acres).
Ruins
of Yuanmingyuan, Beijing |
Generally speaking, the Old Summer Palace consists
of three parts - Yuanmingyuan, Wanchunyuan (the
Garden of Blossoming Spring) and Changchunyuan (the
Garden of Eternal Spring). These three gardens are
often referred to as one common name: Yuanmingyuan.
Hundreds of scenic spots in the Garden are made up
of exquisitely constructed halls, pavilions,
chambers, kiosks, earth and rock hills, rivers and
ponds, and exotic flowers and grasses from different
parts of the country. Indeed, it embodies the
essence of Chinese ancient landscape gardening.
To be distinct from other traditional Chinese
Gardens, the garden construction and horticulture of
Yuanmingyuan is a harmonious blend of typical
Chinese scenery and western architecture. The more
famous scenic spots include, for example, the Grand
Waterworks, the Throne for viewing the Waterworks
and the Labyrinth. No wonder Yuanmingyuan was also
called the 'garden of gardens' or the 'Versailles of
the East' in Europe during that era. Furthermore,
Yuanmingyuan was also an imperial museum that
collected a large number of books, treasures and
cultural artifacts. However, a large number of these
collections were plundered by the Anglo-French
Allied Forces in 1860, at the same time as the
Garden was burnt down. Now, most of these historical
curiosities are displayed in the other countries'
museums, including the British Museum; Bibliotheque
Nationale de France; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York City, USA; Oslo Museum of Applied Art and so
on.
The vast majority of the remaining scenic spots were
destroyed in the 1980's, but under the due
protection of the ruins of Yuanmingyuan, a park has
been established on the ruin site. So visitors can
imagine the former grandeur of the Old Summer Palace
from the crumbling walls and ruins. What's more,
there is also an opportunity for visitors to view
the complete picture of Yuanmingyuan in its 'heyday'
in the exhibition hall. The reconstruction of some
of the original structures and scenic spots provides
people with a lovely place to relax.
Location of Yuanmingyuan: Yuanmingyuan Lu, Haidian
District, north of Peking University.
(Source: China.org.cn)
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