eBook - ePub
Gardens of a Chinese Emperor
Imperial Creations of the Qianlong Era, 1736ā1796
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
The Garden of Perfect Brightness (Yuanming Yuan) in the western suburbs of the Qing capital, Beijing, was begun by the great Kangxi (r. 1661ā1722) and expanded by his son, Yongzheng (r. 1722ā1735) and brought to its greatest glory by his grandson, Qianlong (r. 1736ā1796). 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 conceptsāreligious, philosophical, political, artistic, and popularārepresented 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.
Includes 62 color plates and 35 black & white photographs.
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Yes, you can access Gardens of a Chinese Emperor by Victoria M. Siu in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Urban Planning & Landscaping. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- List of Images
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter One Experiencing the Garden of Perfect Brightness (Yuanming Yuan)
- Chapter Two Qianlongās Garden of Everlasting Spring (Changchun Yuan)
- Chapter Three The Garden of the Clear Ripples (Qingyi Yuan) on Longevity Hill (Shou Shan)
- Chapter Four The Garden of Tranquil Luminescence (Jingming Yuan) on Jade Spring Hill (Yuquan Shan)
- Chapter Five The Garden of Quiet Delight (Jingyi Yuan) on Fragrant Hill (Xiang Shan)
- Afterword
- Glossary
- Selected Bibliography
- About the Author