In 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value."
The Summer Palace started out life as the 'Garden of Clear Ripples', in 1750, during the reign of Qianlong Emperor. It was intended as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. It later became the main residence of royal family members at the end of the Qing Dynasty. It served as a summer resort for Empress Dowager Cixi and it was also recorded that the Empress embezzled over 30 million taels of silver, said to be originally designated for the Chinese navy, into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace so that she could spend the rest of her life there. (This diversion of funds away from military sources came just six years before the first First Sino-Japanese War (1894/95) in which China lost.)
Behind the Yunhui Yuyu Archway is the Gate of Dispelling Clouds,
and then further up Longevity Hill is the Tower of Buddhist Incense, designed as the symbolic structure in the Summer Palace. It is a Buddhist tower for worshipping Buddha. On the first day and fifteenth day of each lunar month, the Empress Dowager Cixi would go there to pray and burn joss sticks. With a cost of 780,000 taels of silver, the Tower of Buddhist Incense was the biggest construction project of its time. The three-level tower is octagonal with four layers of eaves. It is 41metres high, built on a 21 metre-high stone foundation.
The Court Area was the main area where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu met officials and conducted state affairs. With the same pattern as the Forbidden City - 'Palace in front and garden behind', the Court Area consists of sections for both court affairs and living. The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity served as the office of the Emperor.
The Qilin (also spelled Kylin) is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures. It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. It is sometimes called the "Chinese unicorn". There are variations in the appearance of the Qilin, even in historical China, owing to cultural differences between dynasties and regions. During the Jin Dynasty, the Qilin is depicted as wreathed in flame and smoke, with a dragon-like head, scales, and the body of a powerful hooved beast such as a horse. In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Qilin is represented as an oxen-hoofed animal with a dragon-like head surmounted by a pair of horns and flame-like head ornaments. The Qilin of China's subsequent Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) is a fanciful animal. Depictions of the Qilin show a creature with the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox and tail of a lion.
This Qilin stands in front of The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. It has a dragon head, lion tail, deer horn, and cattle hoof.
This is known as the "Unlucky Stone" and it is located in the courtyard in front of The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity.
The Hall of Joyful Longevity, was the major building in the living area for royalty. It was built in 1887 as the residence for Empress Dowager Cixi. The bronze deer, bronze crane and bronze vase placed in front of the main hall symbolize peace.
The Long Gallery (or Long Corridor) is a perfectly designed structure which is regarded as the most classic feature on the grounds of the Summer Palace. This 728-metre-long corridor is also the longest corridor in any Chinese classic garden.
The Long Gallery was first built in 1750 when the emperor built the gallery for his mother so she could walk out doors regardless of the weather and view the garden in rain or snow. The Empress Dowager Cixi also liked to walk here after breakfast every day.
Another highlight of the Long Gallery is the 14,000 Su style coloured paintings on every beam and cross-member. The Long Gallery enjoys the title of ‘the coloured paintings museum', and because of its length and abundance of coloured paintings, the Long Gallery was included in the Guinness Book of Records in the early 1900s.
There are hundreds of painted stories inside the Long Gallery, and the themes taken from historical figures, landscapes, flowers and birds can be seen as a miniature representation of the breadth of Chinese art.
Kunming Lake is an attractive water feature a short distance from downtown Beijing, covering three quarters of the total area of the Summer Palace grounds.
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge was also built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. There are approximately thirty bridges in the Summer Palace and this is the largest one, with a length of 150 metres and a width of 8 metres. With the biggest arch in the midst of the bridge flanked by sixteen others, you can count nine arches in different sizes from the middle to each end of the bridge. Number nine was believed to be the biggest yang (anode) number, an auspicious number favoured by the emperors.
The Summer Palace radiates fully the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. It occupies an area of 300.59 hectares and there are over 3,000 man-made ancient structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc.. Despite the soggy and smoggy conditions today it was lovely spending time wandering around the Summer Palace complex.
And now I was off to yet another performance, but this one a bit different from the previous cultural-dance type shows that I've been to... this one was to see a troupe of Chinese Acrobats perform. And perform they did!!
And now I was off to yet another performance, but this one a bit different from the previous cultural-dance type shows that I've been to... this one was to see a troupe of Chinese Acrobats perform. And perform they did!!
Acrobatics is considered to be a pearl in the treasure house of the traditional Chinese performing arts and Chinese acrobatics has a long and rich heritage. The acrobatic art has been existent in China for more than two thousand years - as early as the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the rudiments of acrobatics existed. By the time of the Han Dynasty (221 BC-220 AD), the acrobatic art or "Hundred Plays" further developed both in content and variety and during the Tang Dynasty, the number of acrobats greatly increased and their performing skills improved a great deal.
In the long course of development, the Chinese acrobatic art has formed its own style. The ancient acrobatics stemmed from the peoples lives and had a close link with their life and productive labour. Instruments of their work, like tridents, wicker rings, tables, chairs, jars, plates, and bowls were used in their performances. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), the performing arts became popular in the Emperor’s court and soon spread to the gentry. Due to its new status, and raise in income, the acts became more refined. Eventually though, the performing arts lost favour in the Imperial Court; they moved back to the common people and most performers performed in the street. Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the performers came off the street and started performing on stage. During the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it regained popularity with the Imperial Court and has remained a popular art form to this day.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 great efforts to foster and develop national arts and acrobatics have gained a new life. All provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions have set up their own acrobatic troupes. In the past forty years many Chinese acrobatic troupes have toured more than one hundred countries and regions of the world and promoted friendship and cultural exchanges. It wasn't until the 1990s, however, that the art form was packaged as a complete theme show. The 1994 show Golden Wind of the Southwest led the way in successfully re-promoting the art as a whole.
And now I've finally reached the end of yet another wonderful day in Beijing.
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