The Old Summer Palace, once the garden of ten thousand gardens, is now only left with ruins. But its historical and cultural value has fascinated countless people. Today, let's walk into the Old Summer Palace Ruins Park and feel its unique charm.
1. The history and culture of the Old Summer Palace
Located in Beijing's Haidian District, the Old Summer Palace is one of the imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty and was founded in 1709. It covers an area of more than 350 hectares and consists of three gardens, the Old Summer Palace, the Qichun Garden, and the Changchun Garden, and is known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens".
The construction of the Old Summer Palace lasted more than 150 years and consumed countless human, material and financial resources. It integrates the essence of traditional Chinese architecture and garden art, and also absorbs the characteristics of Western architecture and gardens to form a unique style.
The Old Summer Palace is not only a garden, but also a treasure trove of art. The park has a large collection of cultural relics and artworks, including calligraphy and paintings, clocks and watches, ceramics, jewelry, etc. The most famous of these are the 12 Zodiac Beast Heads Bronze Statues, which were once part of the fountain outside the Haiyan Hall of the Old Summer Palace, and in 1860 the British and French forces invaded China and burned down the Old Summer Palace, and the bronze statues of the beast heads began to be lost overseas, and 7 have now returned to China, and 5 are still missing.
However, the splendor of the Old Summer Palace did not last long. In 1860, Anglo-French forces captured Beijing, looting and burning the Old Summer Palace. Since then, the Old Summer Palace has been vandalized and plundered many times, and finally reduced to a ruin.
2. The main attractions of the Old Summer Palace
Zhengjue Temple: Zhengjue Temple is an affiliated temple of the Old Summer Palace, located on the east side of the palace gate of Qichun Garden. It was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and is a lama temple. The architectural style of Zhengjue Temple is unique, integrating a variety of architectural styles such as Han, Tibetan, and Mongolian. A large number of cultural relics and artworks have been preserved in the temple, including Buddha statues, murals, thangkas, etc.
Xiyanglou Scenic Area: Xiyanglou Scenic Area is the essence of the Old Summer Palace and one of the must-see attractions for tourists. It is composed of more than 10 buildings and gardens, such as Harmony Wonder, Haiyan Hall, Dashui Law, Water Viewing Law, Yuanying View, Line Law Mountain, Fanghe River, Line Law Painting, etc., which is the perfect combination of European classical architecture and Chinese traditional garden art. The architecture and decoration of the Western-style building scenic area are extremely exquisite, which is a highlight of the Old Summer Palace.
Yuanmingyuan Exhibition Hall: The Yuanmingyuan Exhibition Hall is located in the scenic area of the Western Building, which is a modern exhibition hall. It shows the historical, cultural and artistic value of the Old Summer Palace through various forms such as pictures, models, and real objects. There is also a high-tech multimedia exhibition hall in the exhibition hall, which allows visitors to experience the splendor of the Old Summer Palace in an immersive way.
Qichun Garden: Qichun Garden is an integral part of the Old Summer Palace, located in the southeast of the Old Summer Palace. It was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and is a beautiful garden. There are many scenic spots in Qichun Garden, such as Fuhua Hall, Fenglinzhou, Hanqiu Hall, Xianren Chenglu and so on.
Changchun Garden: Changchun Garden is an integral part of the Old Summer Palace, located in the northeast of the Old Summer Palace. It was built in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and is a garden dominated by water features. There are many scenic spots in Changchun Garden, such as Hanjing Hall, Jade Linglong Hall, Lion Forest, Western Building, etc.
3. The tourist route of the Old Summer Palace
The Old Summer Palace is so large and so many attractions that it can take a whole day to see them all at once. Therefore, tourists are advised to choose the right tourist route according to their time and interests.
Essence tour route: enter from the palace gate of Qichun Garden, visit Qichun Garden, and then go to the Xiyanglou Scenic Area to visit the Harmonious Wonder, Haiyan Hall, Da Shui Fa, Water Viewing Law, Yuanying View, Line Law Mountain, Fang River, Line Law Painting and other scenic spots, and finally leave from the East Gate.
Panoramic tour route: enter from the south gate of the Old Summer Palace, visit the Qichun Garden, then go to the Changchun Garden, visit the Hanjing Hall, the Jade Linglong Pavilion, the Lion Forest and other scenic spots, and then go to the Xiyanglou Scenic Area, visit the Harmonious Wonder, Haiyan Hall, the Great Water Law, the Water Viewing Law, the Yuanying View, the Line Law Mountain, the Fang River, the Line Law Painting and other scenic spots, and finally leave from the East Gate.
Cultural tour route: Enter from Zhengjue Temple, visit Zhengjue Temple, then go to the Xiyanglou Scenic Area, visit the Old Summer Palace Exhibition Hall, learn about the history, culture and artistic value of the Old Summer Palace, and finally leave through the East Gate.
Fourth, the food strategy of the Old Summer Palace
Yuanmingyuan Restaurant: The Yuanmingyuan Restaurant is located in the palace gate of Qichunyuan, which is a restaurant focusing on court cuisine. The restaurant has an elegant environment and exquisite dishes, which is a good place to taste the royal cuisine.
Changchun Garden Restaurant: Changchun Garden Restaurant is located in the palace gate of Changchun Garden, which is a restaurant focusing on home-cooked food. The restaurant is affordable and tastes good, and it is a good value for money restaurant.
Yuanmingyuan Snack Street: Located near the Xiyanglou Scenic Area, the Yuanmingyuan Snack Street is a snack street integrating Beijing snacks and local specialty snacks. Tourists can taste Beijing snacks such as roast duck, fried noodles, bean juice, sugar gourd, etc., as well as special snacks from all over the country.
5. Precautions for the Old Summer Palace
The Old Summer Palace is open from 7:00 to 19:00, and the ticket price is 25 yuan per person. Visitors are advised to purchase tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line.
The Old Summer Palace is large in size, and visitors are advised to wear comfortable shoes for long walks.
The cultural relics and artworks in the Old Summer Palace are very precious, and tourists should pay attention to them when visiting, and do not touch or damage them.
There are many kinds of plants in the Old Summer Palace, and visitors should be careful not to pick or destroy them at will when visiting.
There are many waters in the Old Summer Palace, so visitors should pay attention to safety when visiting and do not frolic or swim in the water.
6. Summary
The Old Summer Palace is a garden full of historical and cultural value, and its rise and fall has witnessed the history of honor and disgrace in modern China. Although the Old Summer Palace is in ruins, it still attracts countless tourists. It is hoped that when tourists visit the Old Summer Palace, they can respect history, take care of cultural relics, and jointly protect this precious cultural heritage.