Summer Palace - Last Imperial Garden
The Summer Palace is another representative of the Qing Dynasty's (1644-1911) imperial gardens. Occupying 290 hectares of land, this large landscape garden is the last Chinese imperial garden and the most completely preserved example among existing ancient gardens in China.
The Summer Palace was built around Kunming Lake, formed by spring water from the western hills. Its overall planning was based on the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province and was deeply influenced by gardens south of the Yangtze River. The South Lake Island, the Zaojian Hall and the Zhijing Pavilion on the Kunming Lake comply with the traditional "one pond and three hills" layout of imperial gardens. The Summer Palace is the last imperial garden and the only existing one based on this layout.
Building Buddhist temples, Taoist temples and ancestral temples in gardens is one of imperial gardens' distinctive characteristics, and Buddhist temples take up the majority of them. The Qianlong Emperor built the Qingyi Garden (the predecessor of the Summer Palace) as a birthday present for the empress dowager. Therefore, the main architectural complex in the garden is the Temple of Gratitude for Longevity in front of the middle of the Longevity Hill for celebrating the empress dowager's birthday. This group of buildings consists of the Hall of the Heavenly King, the Hall of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Many Treasures, the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense, the Realm of Popular Fragrance Archway, the Sea of Wisdom Hall.
The magnificent Pavilion of Buddhist Incense located on a high stone platform has become the symbol of the Summer Palace and the center of the picture of the entire garden.
About the book
Chinese Architecture Written by Cai Yanxin Published by China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2018
The Summer Palace is another representative of the Qing Dynasty's (1644-1911) imperial gardens. Occupying 290 hectares of land, this large landscape garden is the last Chinese imperial garden and the most completely preserved example among existing ancient gardens in China.
The Summer Palace was built around Kunming Lake, formed by spring water from the western hills. Its overall planning was based on the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province and was deeply influenced by gardens south of the Yangtze River. The South Lake Island, the Zaojian Hall and the Zhijing Pavilion on the Kunming Lake comply with the traditional "one pond and three hills" layout of imperial gardens. The Summer Palace is the last imperial garden and the only existing one based on this layout.
Building Buddhist temples, Taoist temples and ancestral temples in gardens is one of imperial gardens' distinctive characteristics, and Buddhist temples take up the majority of them. The Qianlong Emperor built the Qingyi Garden (the predecessor of the Summer Palace) as a birthday present for the empress dowager. Therefore, the main architectural complex in the garden is the Temple of Gratitude for Longevity in front of the middle of the Longevity Hill for celebrating the empress dowager's birthday. This group of buildings consists of the Hall of the Heavenly King, the Hall of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Many Treasures, the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense, the Realm of Popular Fragrance Archway, the Sea of Wisdom Hall.
The magnificent Pavilion of Buddhist Incense located on a high stone platform has become the symbol of the Summer Palace and the center of the picture of the entire garden.
About the book
Chinese Architecture Written by Cai Yanxin Published by China Intercontinental Press, Beijing, 2018
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