Introduction to the Imperial Garden of the Palace Museum -
The Imperial Palace Garden was originally laid out during the construction of the Palace during the Yongle Reign,the Third Reign of the Ming Dynasty. It is counted as the main one of the three Gardens in the Palace.
The three Palace Gardens are 1) The Garden of Peaceful Old Age, part of the retirement Palace of the Qianlong Emperor in the Eastern Inner Court, 2) the Garden of the Palace of Established Happiness, which is part of the Six Western Palaces of the Inner Court (not open to the public!), and 3) The Main Garden, the Imperial Garden.
The Imperial Garden is relatively small and surprisingly compact in design. It is located in the extreme North of the Palace Museum Grounds, underneath and inside of ShenWu Men - The Gate of Divine Might.
The Official schematic Map of The Forbidden City, by The Palace Museum.
The TianYi Gate of the Palace of Imperial Peace. The Palace of Imperial Peace is the colorful square Palace and centerpiece of the Imperial Garden. TianYi Gate is the southern Gate into the small palace that is surrounded by its own stone enclosure walls. The Gate is surrounded by rockeries and guarded by two gold-guilded Xizhie', mythical beings understood to be able to tell between good and bad souls, right and wrong.
Inside TianYi Gate stand a Pine Tree and a Cypress with branches interlocked. These are so called the Loving-Couple Trees.
The Central Piece of the Palace is the Hall of Imperial Peace (Qinian Dian) where offerings were made to the Daoist God of Water. A Ming Dynasty tradition.
Pavilion of Ten Thousand Springs and Pavilion of Ten Thousand Autumns -
The Pavilion of Many Springs (Wan Chun Ting) is one of twin Pavilions in the Garden. Its sister building is the Pavilion of many Autumns (Qian Qiu Ting).
Both the Pavilion of Many Springs (or 10 Thousand Springs) and the Pavilion of Many Autumns were built as an original part of the Palace Garden of the Ming Dynasty. The Pavilion of Many Springs stands in the West, balancing the siter Pavilion in the East of the Garden.
The Pavilions have a square cross- shaped lower part, whereas the upper part of their structure is round in shape.The round-shaped Roofs of the Pavilions have overhanging eaves and many symetrical angles, similar to the Thousand Year Pavilion (Qian Qiu Ting), another Pavilion inside the Palace Garden.
There are square veranda's on all four sides.
During the the Ching Dynasty, the Statue of Lord Guan, an important deity was enshrined inside the Pavilion.
It is said that during his 15Th life year, when he was still only Prince Hong Li - the fourth son of Emperor YongZheng, the later Qianlong Emperor met the love of his life inside this garden. It was Yan'Er, a beautiful palace maiden. The two only shortly met.
It was a fateful day, mainly for Yan'Er, who was killed, ordered to commit suicide over her small meeting and friendship with the Prince.
Afterwards, the pond where the Emperor met the fair lady would remain a place where he would sit and stare at the water.
The Hill of Soaring Elegance visible over the Inner Palace Wall and Chun Cheng Men Gate.
People entering the Garden through Northern Chun Cheng Men Gate.
Webstyle produced NavBar
Hill of Soaring (or Accumulating) Elegance -
The Hill of Soaring Elegance (DuiXiu Shan) stands directly inside of the Chun Cheng Men, the North Gate of the Garden and can be seen fom outside the Inner Wall underneath the Gate of Divine Might (Shen Wu Men).
Its height soars above the Garden and gives a spectacular but unaccesible panoramic view of the Imperial Palace. It was used in ceremony each year on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar Month - the mid-autumn festival, and on the double 9 day (September 9Th), on which occasion the Emperor, the Empresses and all the Concubines would climb to the Pavilion atop the Hill to Celebrate and enjoy the views.
Access to the Imperial Garden of the Palace Museum -
The Palace Garden is accessible either through ShenWu Men and Chun Cheng Men in the North, or from the Central Palaces of the Inner Court - the living quarters of the Ming Emperors- through the Gate of Earthly Tranquility in the South. There are further side-gates leading away into the North sections of the Western Long Corridor and the Eastern Long Corridor respectively.
Buildings in the Garden stand on both sides of the Garden, balanced harmoniously on an invisible axis. The area of the Gardens covers over 12.000 square meters, incorporating several pavilions and Halls, over 20 in all, inside this limited space.
Because of its special design, the Imperial Garden is counted among the best preserved regal Gardens in China entire.
Furthermore, the Imperial Garden, Its Pines, Cypresses, Rockeries and Pavilions are historic remnants of both Ming and Ching Dynasties. It's main treasures are the Palace of Imperial peace, the Hill of Soaring Elegance with its Imperial Viewing Pavilion, the Lodge of the Nourishment of Nature and the Hall of Literary Elegance, which is now the Giftshop of the Palace Museum.
Other structures include the Pavilion of Crimson Snow, the Pavilion to Usher in the Light, the Ten Thousand Springs & Ten Thousand Autumns Pavilion and yet more.
Hall of Literary Elegance -
The Hall of Literary Elegance, Chi Zoa Tang, was one of the many depositories of books in the Palace. There were many such depositories as the Emperor would move around the Palace.
Today the Hall of Literary Elegance serves as the Official Palace Museum Giftshop, where fans and visitors can get their t-shirts, postcards, rare books and other Palace Museum parafernelia.
There are more gift-shops located outside of ShenWu Men, the North Gate, however these are not selling the original ware.
