Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen:
My name is ___. I’m very honored to be youre guide. I do hope all of youcould like my guiding and enjoy everything on your pleasant day. This morning weare going to visit the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is located on thenorthwest suburbs of Beijing, about 20 kilometers away from the center of thecity. So it will take us about 1 hour to get there. Before we arrived at theSummer Palace, I would like to introduce you a brief introduction of thewoderful imperial garden. The Summer Palace is the most beautiful and thelargest imperial garden existing in Chinan, and it is the best-preservedimperial garden in the world. In 1998, it was placed on the List of WorldCultural Heritage by the UNESCO.
The Summer Palace was first built as an imperial garden at the beginning of12th century in the Jin Dynasty. The construction continued to the Yuan and Mingdynasties. In the Qing Dynasty, the building of imperial gardens reached itsculmination. During Emperor Qianlong’s reign, the famous ‘Three Hills and FiveGardens’ were built on the northwest suburbs of Beijing. The Summer Palace was apart of it and at that time was called the Garden of Clear Ripples. In 1860, theAnglo-French Allied Forces invaded Beijing. The ‘Three Hills and Five Gardens’were burnt down to ashes.
In 1888, the Empress Dowager Cixi spent the navy fund having the Garden ofClear Ripples rebuilt. And then she renamed it the Garden of Nurtured Harmony(Summer Palace).
In 1900, the Allied Forces of Eight Powers invaded Beijing. The SummerPalace was once again severely damaged. It was rebuilt again in 1902.
In 1924, the Last Emperor Puyi was driven out of the palace, after that,the Summer Palace was turned into a public park.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please look over there, in front of us is an archway.It is called “Emptiness and the collection of excellence”, and it is the firstscenery of the Summer Palace. The two Chinese words on the front side of thearchway mean emptiness and refer to everything in nature and in the scenery. Thetwo words on the back side mean Collection of Excellence and refer to thetranquility of the beautiful scenery just within the garden.
(outside the East Palace Gate)
Now, we have arrived at the East Palace Gate. It’s the main entrance of theSummer Palace. On top of the gate there is a plaque with three Chinesecharacters ‘The Summer Palace’ in Emperor Guangxu’s handwriting. The gate thatwe are now entering was used by the emperor, the empress only in the olddays.
(Inside the East Palace Gate)
Now we are inside the Summer Palace. In front of us is the second gate ofthe Summer Palace— the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity. The annex halls onboth sides were used for officials on duty and the offices of the Privy Council.Well, Before we start our tour in the garden, I will briefly introduce you thelayout of the Summer Palace and our tour route. O.K., ladies and gentlemen, mayI have your attention please? Let’s look at the map together, From it we can seethe Summer Palace covers an area of 290 hectares, which the lake occupies thethree-fourths. The whole garden can be divide into three parts: the area was forpolitical activities, resting places of the emperor and empress, and sightseeingareas. Our tour will start from the area of the political activities, and endoff the Marble Boat. On the way, we will visit the main constructions of theSummer Palace, such as the Hall of Jade Ripples, the Hall of Happiness andLongevity, the Long Corridor, the Hall of Dispelling Clouds and so on. It willtake us about two hours to visit the Summer Palace. Please attention, we won’twalk back and our driver will pick us up at the North Gate. Should you get lostor separated from the group, please meet us at the North Gate.
Ok, everyone, let’s start our tour from the emperors’ office --- the Hallof Benevolence and Longevity. Follow me please.
(Inside the courtyard of the Benevolence and Longevity)
Passing through the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity, we have alreadyentered the courtyard of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. The huge rock infront of us is Taihu Rock. It was quarried from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province,so it was known as Taihu Rock. Please look around the courtyard and you can seethere are four grotesque shaped rocks placed in each corner of this courtyard,representing the four seasons of the year. The Taihu Rocks are usually used asdecoration for beautifying gardens and they are thin, crease, leak andpenetration in characters.
The bronze mythical animal behind the Taihu Rock is known as Suanni or somepeople call it Qilin. According to ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon hadnine sons, but none of them became a real dragon. Suanni was one of the ninesons of the dragon. It was an auspicious animal that could avoid evil spirits inancient lengeds. Suanni has the head of dragon, the antlers of dear, the hoovesof ox and the tail of lion.
(In front of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity)
This grand hall is the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. It was firstbuilt in 1750. The name of this hall taken from a book entitled ‘Lun Yu’ byConfucius doctrine means, “ those who are benevolent can enjoy a long life.”This hall was the place where Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi heldaudience and handled state affairs when they were in the Summer Palace. Forprotecting the historical cultural relic, we couldn’t enter the hall. So I wouldlike to briefly introduce you the decorations in the Hall of Benevolence andLongevity. The arrangement of the hall has been left untouched. In the middle ofthe hall stands an emperor’s throne carved with nine dragons on design. Thereare two big fans on both sides behind the throne which are made of peacockfeathers. Behind the throne there is a big screen with red sandalwood frame andglass mirror inlaid. On the mirror there are 226 Chinese characters of the word‘Longevity’ written in different styles. There are two scrolls on each side ofthe wall with a big Chinese character ‘Longevity’ written on it. It was saidthat the word ‘Longevity’ written by Empress Dowager Cixi. There are 100 batspainted at the background of the scroll symbolizing happiness.
Well, please look up the two pairs of incense burners in the shape of adragon and a phoenix in front of the hall. They were used to burn incense sticksto create the appropriate atmosphere. In the old days, the dragon and phoenixwere the symbol of the emperor and empress. According to ritual, the dragonsshould be placed in the center while phoenixes were to either side in front ofthe hall.However, here, the dragons are off to the sides and the phoenixes arein the middle. This was a product of the end of Qing Dynasty when EmpressDowager Cixi handled state affairs behind the screen.
(At the entrance of Garden of virtuour Harmony)
We are now visiting the Garden of Virtuous Harmony, where Emperor Qianlongand Empress Dowager Cixi were entertained with Bejing Opera performances. Itmainly consists of the Dressing House, the Grand Theater Building and the Hallof Pleasure Smile. The Grand Theater Building was known as the ‘Cradle ofBeijing Opera’ was uniquely laid out and magnificently decorated. There are 7exhibition halls with articles of daily use on display here.
(In front of the Grand Theater Building)
This is the Grand Theater Building. Of the three main theater buildings ofthe Qing Dynasty, the Grand Theater Building is the tallest and largest one. Theother two are Changyin Pavilion in the Forbidden City and Qingyin Pavilion inthe Mountain Resort in Chengde. The Grand Theater Building, a three-storiedstructure, has a double roof with upturned eaves. It is 21 meters high and 17meters wide. Performances could be staged simultaneously on three levels. Thetop one was a symbol of happiness, the middle level was emolument level and thebottom stage was named longevity stage. Each level has the entrance and theexit. There are some trapdoors in the ceiling and below the floor for ‘celestialbeing’ to fly down from the sky and the ‘devils’ to appear from the earth to setoff a certain atmosphere on the stage. There is also a well and five ponds builtunder the stage for a good effect of water scenes. The stage is open to threesides.
Well, please look at the construction that stands right opposite the GrandTheater Building, it’s the Hall of Pleasure Smile. The Empress Dowager Cixi usedbo sit inside the hall to watch and enjoy the Peking Opera.
(A lakeside walk from the Garden of virtuous Harmony to the Hall of JadeRipples)
We are now standing in the middle of a rockery behind the Hall ofBenevolence and Longevity. It appears that there’s nothing special ahead.However, after we clear the rockery, we will reach Kunming Lake. This is anapplication of a specific style of Chinese
gardening.
Now, we are walking along the bank of the Kunming Lake. Look over there,not far away in the lake there is an islet. It’s called the Spring HeraldingIslet. The pavilion on the islet is called the Spring Heralding Pavilion. Anumber of willow trees and peach trees were planted on this islet. In earlyspring, when the ice begins to melt, peach trees are red in pink blossoms,willow trees turn a tender green signaling that the early spring has returned.Hence the name ‘Heralding Sping Pavilion’.
(In front of the Hall of Jade Ripples)
This group of special and quiet courtyard dwellings is the Hall of JadeRipples. The words “Jade Ripples” came from a verse “Gentle ripples gushing outof Jade Spring”, which refers to the rippling water in the lake. It was firstused by Emperor Qianlong to attend to state affairs. In the late Qing Dynasty,it was where Emperor Guangxu was put under house arrest.
This hall is a hallmark of the Movement of 1898. Emperor Guangxu wasEmperor Dowager Cixi’s nephew. After Emperor Tongzhi died, Emperor Dowager Ciximade her nephew, who was at that time four years old a successor in order tocontinue her hold on imperial power. She ‘handled state affairs behind thescreen’. After Emperor Guangxu ‘managed state affairs personally’ at the age of19, a political conflict occurred between the conservatives and the reformers.In 1898, the Reform Movement took place with the aim of sustaining the coreprinciples of the Qing Dynasty while reforming outdated laws. The movementlasted for103 days until it was suppressed by Empress Dowager Cixi. It wascalled the ‘Hundred-Day Reform’. After the reform failed, Emperor Guangxu wasput under house arrest here. For the strict control of him, Empress Dowager Cixiordered to build many brick walls in the front, back, and on the right and leftof the Hall of Jade Ripples. At that time the hall was entirely sealed up, justlike a prison. Today only the hidden walls in the east and west annex room stillmaintain its original appearance. It is open to visitors as the relic related tothe 1898 Reform Movement.
(In front of the Chamber of Collecting Books)
This is the Chamber of Collecting Books. In Chinese, it’s called “Yi YunGuang”. “Yun” was a kind of fragrant weed. In ancient times, it was usually usedas termite repellent in rooms where books were stored.In the Emperor Qianlong’sreign, the purpose of the hall was for collecting books. Later it was convertedinto a residence. There used to be the residence of Guangxu’s Empress Longyu,and his favorite concubine Zhenfei.
(In the Hall of Happiness and Longevity)
This group of courtyard is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It was themajor architectural structure in the living quarters and the residence ofEmpress Dowager Cixi. The whole compound was basically made of wood, which isideal for ventilation and lighting. With its quiet and tasteful layout, the Hallof Happiness and Longevity made life very easy and convenient. In front of theHall of Happiness and Longevity there is a huge rock placed in the middle ofthis courtyard named “Qing Zhi Xiu” and nicknamed as “Family Bankruptcy Rock”.This huge rock was discovered in Fangshan District by a Ming official MiWanzhong. He wanted to transport it to his own garden “Shaoyuan”. In the olddays, transporting such rock was very difficult. After spending all his money toship it, he still could not succeed in doing this. The big rock was then left onthe roadside somewhere near Liangxiang County, 30 kilometers southwest ofBeijing. Hence it was nicknamed “Family Bancruptcy Rock”. Later Emperor Qianlongdiscovered it and transported to the Garden of Clear Ripples and laid in frontof the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. The colorful glass chandeliers hanginginside the hall was introduced from Germany in 1903. It is one of the earliestelectric lights in China.
(In front of the Gate of Inviting the Moon of the Long Corridor)
Ladies and Gentlemen, you may have visited some of the best museums in theworld, such as the Louvre in France and the Museum of Great Britain. Now I willshow you a special gallery in the palace—the Long Corridor. In 1990, the LongCorridor was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as ‘the longestpainted corridor’ in the world’. It would be a pity if we leave the SummerPalace without visiting the Long Corridor and the Marble Boat. Now, here we go,the Long Corridor first!
(Strolling along the Long Corridor)
The Long Corridor starts from the Gate Inviting the Moon to the ShizhangGate. It is 728 meters long and consists of 273 sections. The Long corridor isone of the major structures of the Summer Palace. Since the corridor wasdesigned to follow the physical features of the southern slope of LongevityHill, four multiple-eaved, octagonal pavilions ( Retaining the GoodnessPavilion, Living with the Ripples Pavilion, Autumn Water Pavilion, Clear and FarPavilion) were placed at bends and undulation, they represent four seaons of ayear. Thus visitors will hardly notice the rise and fall of the terrain. As amajor part of the architectural style of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridorserves as an ingenious connector between the Lake and the Hill. Scatteredbuildings on the southern slope were linked to create a unified complex.
The Long Corridor is the longest covered veranda in any Chinese garden. Onthe purlins and beams of the covered veranda, there are over 14,000 Suzhou stylepaintings. Among them, there are 546 color paintings relating to the scenes ofWest Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Beside the colorful paintings ofnatural scenery, there are also scenes of flowers, birds, fish, insects,mythology and figures. The paintings of figures are mainly adapted from ancientChinese classical literature, such as ‘Pilgrimage to the West’, ‘The Romance ofthe Three Kingdoms’, ‘The western Chamber’, “Water Margin’, and ‘The Dream ofthe Red Mansion’.
(In front of the Gate of Dispelling Clouds)
Now we are approaching the central part of the structures on the lakesideslope, the Tower of Buddhist Incense within the Hall of Dispelling Clouds. Thecentral axis line starts from the wharf next to the lake to the Sea of Wisdom ontop of the Hill. The main architectural structures here are the Gate ofDispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling clouds, Tower of Buddhist Incense and theSea of Wisdom, which altogether form a splendid three-dimensional landscape. Thelayout of this group of architectures was based on scenes described in Buddhistsutras. This group of structures are among the most magnificently constructedhere in the Summer Palace. This is a good place to taking photos, we will stayhere for about 15 minutes.
Now we are walking continuely along the Long Corridor, the next scene weare going to visit is Marble Boat.
Look over there! Halfway up the slope there stands the Hall of Listening toOrioles. It was the place for emperor and empress to enjoy opera and courtmusic. It is said the singing of orioles is very pleasing. Before the Garden ofVirtuous Harmony was built, Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed opera and music here.Now the hall is one of the most famous restaurants in China, featuring imperialdishes and desserts.
This is the famous Marble Boat. A famous scientist of China’s Eastern HanDynasty once said, “Water can float the boat, but it can also tip it over.” Aprime minister of Tang Dynasty Wei Zheng once used these words to persuade LiShimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He said people are water and theemperor is the boat. People can support a good emperor. However, they also canoverthrow the dynasty. Emperor Qianlong built this huge boat in the Garden inorder to make the allusion concrete. On one hand, Emperor Qianlong encouragedhimself to run the country well. On the other hand, he wanted to show that hisrule of the Qing Dynasty was as firm as the Marble Boat and there was no fear ofoverturning the boat. The Marble Boat was the place for Emperor Qianlong tosample tea and enjoy the scenery of Kunming Lake. Emperor Qianlong once camehere to engage in the freeing of captive animals. In the times of Qianlong, theMarble Boat was a Chinese styled stone boat with a Chinese style woodensuperstructure on the top of it. When it was rebuilt in the times of Guangxu, aforeign and Chinese elements mixed resulting in two wheels to be added to theboat, one on each side. The floor was paved with colored bricks. All of thewindows were inlaid with multiple-colored glass. A big mirror was installed onthe superstructure for viewing rain.
Our tour is drawing to a close after we visited the Marble Boat. Today weonly visited the major scenic spots of the Summer Palace. I have left otherspots of interest for your next visit. I will now show you out through the RuyiGate. Our coach is waiting for us outside the gate. I do hope you enjoyedtoday’s tour. Thank you.