Beijing - Yuanmingyuan
Yuanmingyuan Ruins
Yuanmingyuan (Downloadable Pictures)
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).
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.
(ChinaTravelGuide.com)
