Emperor Qianlong's favorite reading place getting a face-lift
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E-mail China Daily, May 31, 2017
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Beihai Park's Yilan Hall in Beijing is to opene to the public on Thursday.[Photo/Xinhua] |
An imperial garden in downtown Beijing's Beihai Park opened to tourists after a restaurant that had operated for 60 years was moved out as part of a campaign to protect the city's cultural heritage.
Yilan Hall, whose history spans more than 260 years, is a cluster of buildings designed in the architectural style of the Jinshan Temple in Jiangsu province. It was the preferred reading place for Emperor Qianlong, an 18th-century ruler of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
In the 1950s, the Fangshan restaurant and hotel opened in the building, offering "emperor's dishes". Taking advantage of the historical setting, the hotel, which boasted a lake view, earned fame by providing customers with a taste of Qing luxury. It had 11 small private dining rooms.
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Yilan Hall, whose history spans more than 260 years, is a cluster of buildings designed in the architectural style of the Jinshan Temple in Jiangsu province.[Photo/Xinhua] |
Lyu Xinjie, the park's Party chief, said the restaurant was closed and relocated in April last year, while restoration of the 200-square-meter area, one-third of the complex, was carried out to reproduce the site's former appearance.
He said the restaurant had impeded protection of the historical building, and also posed safety risks.
Replicas of study furniture, as well as paintings and calligraphy favored by Emperor Qianlong, were arranged in the hall. Professionals from the capital's Palace Museum created illustrations to help visitors better understand the building's history.
Lyu said for protection purposes, the park will cap the number of visitors at a maximum of 80 at a time, because renovations and archaeological studies of the rest of the complex are still underway.
A two-part exhibition is currently open to the public: one a show about Yilan Hall's history and culture, and another about Emperor Qianlong.
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