[Billy]

The Northern Side of Longevity Hill

There is a great contrast between the southern and northern sides of Longevity Hill. While the southern side is lavish to the point of extravagance, the northern slope is more peaceful and less crowed. With its winding hill paths, limpid flowing streams, luxuriant pines and cypresses, and numerous shrubs, the northern side of Longevity Hill reminds one of the countryside of southern China. There was originally a large number of fine buildings here, but with few exceptions they were all destroyed by the Anglo-French forces.

Apart from the long Lilac Corridor, there are only two palaces worthy of mention: the Tower of Great Fortune (Jingfuge) and the Garden pf Harmonious Delights (Xiequyuan).

The Tower of Great Fortune was known as the Palace of Epiphyllum (Tanhuage) during the Qianlong period and was rebuilt in its present form in 1892. This rather large square building is surrounded on all sides by corridors, and was frequented by the Empress Dowager for two main purposes: watching the moon, and admiring the scenery on rainy days. The elevation here permits a fine view of the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the Knowing Spring Pavilion on Kunming Lake. Cixi often dined here on rainy days, for this was an ideal spot from which to gaze out upon the distant hills half-lost in clouds.

East of Longevity Hill in the very northeast corner of the palace stands the"garden within a garden,"the Garden of Harmonious Delights, perhaps the most peaceful and secluded place in the entire Summer Palace. The Garden was built during the Qianlong period. Water from Kunming Lake was led here to form a pond and a complex of ingeniously interconnected buildings was built around it. Since Qianlong copied the buildings themselves after a garden in the Huishan district of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, the garden was first known as Huishan Garden. Its name was changed to the Garden of Harmonious Delights in 1893. The Hall of Embracing the Distance (Hanyuantang) is the central structure in the garden. Here the Empress Dowager would drink tea or perhaps take an afternoon nap. Everything in the hall remains as Cixi left it; there are sculptures of characters from the famous Qing novel A Dream of Red Mansions and an exquisite bamboo carved sailboat with 68 miniature figures of old men, each with their own distinct gestures and facial features.

Had the Anglo-French forces not destroyed the series of buildings on the banks of the Suzhou Creek in the rear section of the palace, they would not only be a favorite spot for visitors, but also a valuable resource for studying the social economy of the Qing Dynasty. In the old days, both sides of the creek in the vicinity of the Long Bridge were laid out with streets containing a variety of commercial establishments, such as teahouses, wine shops, bookstores and antique shops. Known as Suzhou Street, this area enabled the imperial family, entirely cut off from the normal society of the country they ruled, to taste Beijing urban life. The roles of the shopkeepers were played by court eunuchs, and when the imperial party approached, they would begin shouting to attract their customers' attention, just as in real life.

By crossing Long Bridge and walking north, one will come to the North Palace Gate, which was originally the main gate of the summer Palace.

At the eastern end of Suzhou Street stands a large gate-like structure which is inscribed on his eastern side with the words "Early morning light" and on its western side with "Gathering brilliance." This is yet another example of southern Chinese architecture.