[Billy]

The Eastern Palace

The Eastern Palace Gate, or main gate is guarded on each side by two brass lions from the Qianlong period. Set in the center of the staircase is a large slab of stone carved with two dragons amusing themselves with giant pearls. This symbol of imperial power was moved here from the Yuanmingyuan Gardens. Above the gate, the three Chinese characters of the name of the Summer Palace "Yiheyuan" have been inscribed in Emperor Guangxu' s hand. Immediately inside the gate is a "spirit wall," beyond which lies a bow-shaped "moon pond" crossed by a pair of stone bridges. In the days of the Empress Dowager, only she, the emperor and empress were permitted to come here, all other mortals being denied entry by a cordon of mounted guards. Walking west and passing through the Gate of Benevolent Longevity, you come to Palace of Benevolent Longevity (Renshoudian). This edifice was originally named the Palace of Encouraging Good Government . Restored in 1890, its name was changed to the Palace of Benevolent Longevity, an ironic notion derived from an old saying, "Benevolent People live long lives." Here Cixi held audience with high officials and handled the daily affairs of government. This palace once contained the famous screen behind which, out of propriety, Cixi ruled China. Though the screen has long since rotted away, the building still contains a number of interesting treasures: bronze vessels from the Shang Dynasty (c 16th-11th century BC); a screen bearing a scene on Dongting Lake made entirely of kingfisher feathers; lions carved from gnarled roots of trees; and Chinese decorative mirrors dating from the 18th century. Among these treasures is a sandalwood mirror frame carved with dragons, which took 3,600 days of labor to complete, the equivalent of one person working non-stop for 10 years.

North of the Palace of Benevolent Longevity is the Garden of Harmonious Virtue (Deheyuan). When Cixi rebuilt this section of the palace after it had been burned down by the Anglo-French forces, she spent a total of more than 700,000 taels of silver. A good portion of this investment went into the outdoor stage, which stands 21 meters high and has a stage area 17 meters wide, more than five times large than the average in the old days. Actually, the stage is composed of three levels, one on top of the other, and is impressive in several other respects: the ceiling of the lowest level is provided with seven traps through which a actors playing the roles of immortals, spirits or other celestial beings could descend. The stage floor also has seven traps which were used by ghosts and other underworld beings. Beneath the stage is a deep well and five square water tanks. Water was pumped from the tanks in some programs to produce underwater scenes on stage. On Cixi' s birthday every year, the same opera would be performed simultaneously on all three levels.

South from the Palace of Benevolent Longevity, you come to the Hal of Jade Ripples (Yulantang). It is said that the name of this structure comes from a poem by Lu Ji (261-303) which contains the line, "Tiny ripples flow up from the Jade Spring." Built in 1750, it was destroyed by the Anglo-French forces in 1860. Upon its restoration, it served as the private living quarters of Emperor Guangxu, though this luxuriously appointed home soon became his prison. Following the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, to which Guangxu had lent his support, the Empress Dowager had the emperor imprisoned here and a brick wall built to prevent escape. Originally, Dropping Flowers Gate connected Guangxu' s home with the Hall of Pleasing Rue (Yiyunguan), the residence of his concubines. As a further punishment, Cixi ordered this gate to be sealed up, thus confining Guangxu to his elegant prison. Guangxu got into the habit of tapping his walking stick on the brick floor of his courtyard, carving out the uneven surface of his patio floor.

Between the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Pleasing Rue stands the Tower of Fine Sunset (Xijialou). Offering an excellent view of the Western Hills, it is an ideal spot for watching the sunset over Kunming Lake. Its eastern wing contains rockery hills and a Forest of (Stone) Lions modeled after the Forest of Lions Garden (Shizilin) in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.

Walking north along the shore of the lake and heading west for a short distance, one comes to the Hall of Joyful Longevity (Leshoutang), the residence of the Empress Dowager. The eastern and western auxiliary halls were the center of daily activities. Each year, Cixi would move here in May, and not until the 10th day of the 10th lunar month (approximately the end of November), long past her birthday, would she move back to he Forbidden City. The current displays include a throne, imperial tables, screens, palace fans, and other imperial paraphernalia. Whenever "Old Buddha" (one of her favorite names) took a meal here, 128 different dishes would be served at a cost of 100 taels of silver, an amount which could buy enough millet to feed 5,000 peasants for one day. On display in the dining room are a basket of pearls, agate and kingfisher jade (feicui), as well as a panoramic mural on which the flowers of the four seasons are depicted in inlaid designs of gold, silver and precious stones. Magnolia, flowering crabapple and peony fill the courtyard. When the magnolias bloom in early April, the number of visitors increases dramatically. Directly south of the Hall of Joyful Longevity on the lake is a small dock with carved stone balustrades where Cixi would alight when arriving at the Summer Palace by boat.

From the west auxiliary hall of the Hall of Joyful Longevity through the Gate for Greeting the Moon, one comes to the eastern end of the Long Corridor (Changlang). First built in 1750 and destroyed by the Anglo-French forces in 1860, the current structure dates form the Guangxu reign. The total length of the corridor is 728 meters, making it the longest corridor in Chinese garden architecture.

Skirting the northern shoreline of Kunming Lake, the corridor links up the principle structures in this section of the Summer Palace. Four pavilions have been built at regular intervals along its length, each decorated with intricate paintings of flowers and historical figures. Every crossbeam in the Long Corridor is decorated with s colorful painting-17,000 in all. Among stories from Chinese history. Of additional interest are the two large stone kiosks jutting out over the water, making fine resting places on hot summer days.