1. Construction and development
Initial construction stage
The Old Summer Palace was originally a garden built by the Kangxi Emperor for his fourth son, Yinzhen, the Yongzheng Emperor. During this period, the Old Summer Palace was small in scale, but it was exquisitely designed, and it had begun to take shape as a royal garden.
The layout of the garden is based on natural landscapes, focusing on the harmonious combination of waterscape and architecture, reflecting the traditional Chinese garden concept of "although made by man, it is like the opening of heaven".
Expansion of the Yongzheng Dynasty
After Emperor Yongzheng ascended the throne, he carried out a large-scale expansion of the Old Summer Palace. He added many new building complexes, such as Kyushu Qingyan, Zhengda Guangming, etc., which are not only unique in style, but also luxuriously decorated, fully demonstrating the royal style.
At the same time, Emperor Yongzheng also paid attention to the greening and plant configuration in the garden, so that the Old Summer Palace has flowers in four seasons and fruits in three seasons, becoming an ecologically rich garden.
The heyday of the Qianlong Dynasty
Emperor Qianlong inherited and developed the Old Summer Palace, making it a comprehensive art treasure trove integrating garden art, architectural art and sculpture art. He not only repaired and added to the existing buildings, but also added many new attractions and buildings.
Emperor Qianlong also introduced some Western architectural and sculptural styles, making the artistic style of the Old Summer Palace more diverse. At the same time, he often held various cultural activities and religious ceremonies in the Old Summer Palace, making the Old Summer Palace a cultural center at that time.
2. Architectural style and characteristics
Chinese architecture
The Chinese architecture in the Old Summer Palace is dominated by palaces and pavilions, and the style is elegant and solemn. Most of these buildings have traditional wooden structures and glazed tile roofs, and they are colorful and eye-catching.
Among them, the most representative building is the "Great Water Law", which is a combination of Chinese and Western fountain architecture, based on a Chinese pavilion, but the top is decorated with Western-style statues and fountain installations, reflecting the ingenious fusion of Chinese and Western cultures.
Western-style architecture
There are also some buildings in the Old Summer Palace that imitate European styles, such as "Haiyan Hall" and "Yuanying Temple". Most of these buildings are built of stone and have an elegant style, which is in stark contrast to traditional Chinese architecture.
These Western-style buildings not only enriched the architectural style of the Old Summer Palace, but also reflected the cultural exchanges between China and the West at that time.
Water features and gardens
The water feature of the Old Summer Palace is one of its major features. There are many lakes and vast water surfaces in the park, which together with the rocks, buildings and plants form a unique garden landscape.
Among them, the most famous water feature is the "Fukukai", which is a vast expanse of water surrounded by rocks and buildings, and the scenery is beautiful and pleasant.
III. Historical Events and Impacts
Anglo-French invasion and destruction
In 1860, the British and French invaded Beijing and occupied the Old Summer Palace. During the occupation, the coalition forces carried out large-scale looting and destruction of the Old Summer Palace, and many precious cultural relics were looted or burned.
This incident dealt a devastating blow to the Old Summer Palace, and also caused heavy losses to the court culture and art of China's feudal society.
Historical status and influence
Despite the severe damage, the Old Summer Palace's place in Chinese history and culture cannot be ignored. It represents the highest achievement of the court garden in feudal Chinese society and is also one of the treasures of ancient Chinese garden art.
At the same time, the history of the Old Summer Palace also reflects the political, economic and cultural conditions of Chinese society at that time, and provides important historical materials for us to study China's feudal society.
Fourth, modern protection and inheritance
Site protection and restoration
Modern China has carried out protection and restoration work on the site of the Old Summer Palace. Through archaeological excavations and historical research, people gradually restored part of the original appearance of the Old Summer Palace and established a ruins park for tourists to visit.
At the same time, it has also strengthened the protection and recovery of the cultural relics of the Old Summer Palace, and strived to recover the precious cultural relics lost overseas.
Cultural inheritance and education
As one of the important cultural heritages of China, the Old Summer Palace plays an important role in cultural inheritance and education. ** and all walks of life through exhibitions, lectures, performances and other forms of activities to popularize the history and cultural knowledge of the Old Summer Palace to the public.
In addition, the Old Summer Palace has become an important platform for historical research and academic exchanges. Many scholars have devoted themselves to the study of the historical, cultural and artistic value of the Old Summer Palace, which has promoted the in-depth development of Chinese history and cultural studies.