Exploring the History of the Summer Palace in Beijing

As the residence of Empress Dowager Cixi in The Summer Palace, the Happy Birthday Hall is not only the essence of the royal garden buildings in the Qing Dynasty, but also the window to peep into the court life in the late Qing Dynasty. This article takes you on an immersive experience of the unique charm of this "retirement home" from three dimensions: architectural layout, historical allusions, and cultural details.

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1、 Le Shoutang: Empress Dowager Cixi's "Holy Land for Elderly Care"

Leshou Hall is located in the mountainous area in front of Wanshou Mountain in the Summer Palace, facing north and south, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing Kunming Lake on one side. It can be regarded as a feng shui treasure trove of "mountains and waters gathering wealth". Its name is derived from the Analects of Confucius, which states that "the wise enjoy water, and the benevolent enjoy mountains", in line with Empress Dowager Cixi's self proclaimed mentality of "both benevolence and wisdom".

2、 Building Code: The Fusion of Power and Aesthetics

Color scheme of glazed tiles: Le Shou Tang adopts a "trimmed yellow glazed" roof, which is second only to the Taihe Hall of the forbidden city, highlighting Empress Dowager Cixi's status as a "quasi emperor".

Internal structure: Five bay room with east and west ear rooms, front hall for handling government affairs, rear bedroom for rest, reproducing the spatial narrative of "watching politics behind the curtain".

Details: The the Taihu Lake Lake stone "Qingzhi Xiu" in the yard weighs 30 tons. It is said that Cixi used tens of thousands of taels of silver to fill the river by removing stones and walls.

3、 Aesthetics of Life: Empress Dowager Cixi's "Exquisitism"

Four season display: lilies in spring, magnolias in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and daffodils in winter. Empress Dowager Cixi requested "one scenery per season, one new day".

Western elements: Self ringing bells and enamel bottles are placed on the Eight Immortals' table, and an imported phonograph is hidden behind a glass screen, showcasing the extravagance of "measuring the material power of China and winning the hearts of the country".

Health secrets: There is a special "medicinal bath room" in the bedroom, and Empress Dowager Cixi often uses "pearl powder+ginseng soup" for bathing. Palace maids need to boil water three hours in advance to adjust the temperature.

4、 Game of Thrones: The 'Political Theater' of Le Shoutang

Watching politics from behind the curtain: The East Warm Pavilion in the front hall was once the place where Empress Dowager Cixi summoned military ministers. With a yellow veil, the Qing Empire operated for 47 years.

Birthday gift: Emperor Guangxu personally wrote a screen with the character "Shou" every year as a gift. When she was defeated in the First Sino Japanese War in 1894, Empress Dowager Cixi still held a grand birthday banquet at the Le Shou Hall.

Retirement symbol: Before Empress Dowager Cixi passed away in 1908, she deliberately moved from Le Shou Hall to Yi Luan Hall, implying the end of the era of "retirement".

5、 Travel experience: a journey of exploring through time and space

Recommended route: Enter Donggong Gate → Renshou Hall → Yulan Hall → Leshou Hall → Long Corridor → Seventeen Arch Bridge, the whole journey takes about 3 hours.

Interactive experience: You can purchase the "Empress Dowager Cixi Health tea Formula" at the Le Shoutang Cultural and Creative Store and taste rose date tea restored from the "Qing Palace Medical Cases".

Shooting technique: Standing by the lakeside of Kunming, with the glazed tiles of Leshoutang as the background, the light is the softest at 4 pm, which can capture a magnificent and magnificent scene.

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