Gardens of a Chinese Emperor: Imperial Creations of the Qianlong Era, 1736-1796The Garden of Perfect Brightness (Yuanming Yuan) in the western suburbs of the Quing capital, Beijing, was begun by the great Kangxi (r. 1661-1722) and expanded by his son, Yongzheng (r. 1722-1736) and brought to its greatest glory by his grandson, Qianlong (r. 1736-1796). A lover of literature and art, Qinglong sought an earthly reflection of his greatness in his Yuanming Yuan. For many years he designed and directed an elaborate program of garden arrangements. Representing two generations of painstaking research, this book follows the emperor as he ruled his empire from within his garden. In a landscape of lush plants, artificial mountains and lakes, and colorful buildings, he sought to represent his wealth and power to his diverse subjects and to the world at large. Having been looted and burned in the mid-nineteenth century by western forces, it now lies mostly in ruins, but it was the world’s most elaborate garden in the eighteenth century. The garden suggested a whole set of concepts—religious, philosophical, political, artistic, and popular—represented in landscape and architecture. Just as bonsai portrays a garden in miniature, the imperial Yuanming Yuan at the height of its splendor represented the Qing Empire in microcosm. Includes 62 color plates and 35 black & white photographs. |
Contents
1 | |
Qianlongs Garden of Everlasting Spring Changchun Yuan | 51 |
The Garden of the Clear Ripples Qingyi Yuan on Longevity Hill Shou Shan | 107 |
The Garden of Tranquil Luminescence Jingming Yuan on Jade Spring Hill Yuquan Shan | 171 |
The Garden of Quiet Delight Jingyi Yuan on Fragrant Hill Xiang Shan | 205 |
Afterword | 231 |
Glossary | 233 |
251 | |
261 | |
About the Author | 267 |
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Gardens of a Chinese Emperor: Imperial Creations of the Qianlong Era, 1736-1796 Victoria M. Cha-Tsu Siu No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
Affairs Hall architectural axis Beijing Bouillard Bridge Buddha Buddhist buildings Castiglione central Changchun Yuan Chengde China Chinese garden Chinese month Clear Ripples Clothing Records Clouds Color Plate Confucian corridors Daoist deities depicted dynasty east elements European sector Everlasting Spring Festival first flowers Fragrant Hill garden design Garden of Everlasting Garden of Perfect Garden of Quiet Garden of Tranquil Gate Guanyin Han Chinese Hangzhou Ibid imperial garden in-motion viewing Inherited Clarity Lake Jade Spring Hill Kangxi emperor landscape Lion Grove Longevity Hill Manchu Ming mountain named National Palace Museum Nine Continents Pagoda Painting Academy palanquin Pavilion Perfect Brightness Qianlong emperor Qianlong reign Qing Qing dynasty Qingyi Yuan Quiet Delight Reflecting region rituals Scene Scenic Views scholars Siu family collection slope Southern Tours stone structures Study Summer Palace Suzhou symbol Tang Tibetan Tranquil Luminescence venue Wang western Yihe Yuan Yuan historical materials Yuanming Yuan Zeng Zhai Zhao