Due to the clampdown to waste and corrupt practices in the government1, Fangshan Restaurant 仿膳饭庄 was asked to forego the operations of the place in 2016, and restoration of the Yi Lan Tang Complex to its former glory started in 2019 and completed in Dec 20222.
Beihai Yi Lan Hall Complex 漪澜堂建筑群, first built in 1751, is a masterpiece of Chinese traditional landscaping art. Perfectly fitting the landscape, it is a multifunctional complex with each room designated for a particular purpose.3
Yi Lan Hall Complex 漪澜堂建筑群
In different rooms of the complex glorified for its rich and diverse values in history, culture, and architecture, the complex served as a multi-purpose place where such functions are integrated as indulging in feasts, having rests, reading books, watching opera performances, worshiping Buddha, or enjoying the surrounding beautiful sceneries.
Yi Lan Hall Courtyard 漪澜堂院落
This is a group of two-storey corridor buildings connecting 分凉阁 “Coolness Sharing Pavilion” in the west to 倚晴楼 “Clear View Pavilion” in the east. On the south side of this corridor are three connected courtyards, the first and largest is Yi Lan Hall Courtyard 漪澜堂院落.
Yi Lan Hall 漪澜堂
Yi Lan Hall 漪澜堂, or “Hall of Continuous Ripples”, was built in 1751 or the 16th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong reign. It is the largest building of the complex, and used to be an important place for the royal family members of the Qing Dynasty to enjoy the sceneries of the Taiye Pool 太液池.
Emperor Qianlong came here to enjoy the lotus in summer and the ice play in winter. It is said that he also often fished in the lake right in front of Yi Lan Hall and rewarded his officials with his catch. Sometimes, Qianlong threw banquets for his ministers and foreign envoys in Yi Lan Hall. Lang Shining 郎世宁 (aka Giuseppe Castiglione) and Jiang Youren 蒋友仁 (aka Michel Benoist), foreign painters who participated in the construction of Yuanming Garden, were given a banquet here.4
The silkwook bed is decorated with a hand-woven and embroidered cushion heated “throne”. Behind the throne, a screen is set up to reproduce Qianlong’s travelogue of “The North of Tashan Mountain” 《塔山北面记》. The bed is also equipped with common royal furnishings such as jade-handled knives and rosewood Ruyi with inlaid jade.5
On the west wall of the hall, there are also hand-woven and embroidered decorative paintings – bamboo and stone double phoenix picture hanging screen and hand-embroidered ancient hanging screen, which are very colourful in the Qing Dynasty court.
Bi Zhao Lou 碧照楼
The two-story Bi Zhao Lou 碧照楼, or “Shiny Jade Tower”, served as a vantage point in the north of the central part of the complex for Emperor Qianlong to enjoy the view of the Taiye Pool.
And linking this courtyard and the theatre courtyard is a circular “Moon Gate” 月亮门. This door used to be shut all the time, and only reopened after the massive restoration work in 2019.
“Qinglan Huayun” Theatre Hall and “Nichang Man” Stage 晴栏花韵、霓裳曼舞
The building in the small courtyard on the east side used to be the stage for the emperor, the empress dowager and concubines to watch a Chinese opera. The plaque now hanging on the stage is “Nichang Manwu” 霓裳曼舞 or “Beautiful Dance of the Colourful Costumes” which was newly added in recent years and is written by Pu Jie 溥杰, the brother of the last Qing emperor Puyi.
Previously, the roof of the stage was blocked off due to its commercial use and need for air conditioning in the private dining room. Once all those modernity was removed, the original beams and columns were revealed and restored to their original splendour.
The theatre hall opposite the stage is called “Qinglan Huayun” 晴栏花韵, which means that you can feel the fragrance of flower and listen to the birdsong by the railing.
The hall is for the enjoyment of the emperor and the immediate family like empress and concubines, a comfortable recluse as they watch the opera.
This hall and the stage were the most renovated during the 1950s transformation – the stage was converted into a private dining hall, and this theatre has been turned into a dining hall.
Zi Cui Fang 紫翠房
To the east end of the theatre is Zi Cui Fang 紫翠房, or “Purple Jade Chamber”, a small room that often went unnoticed by tourists because it is hidden behind a Taihu rock formation and not opened to the public. This is a private resting room for the emperor when he is tired from watching too much opera.
Dao Ning Zhai Courtyard 道宁斋院落
Dao Ning Zhai, on the south side of the west side of the Yilan Hall building complex, used to be the place where Emperor Qianlong read and recite poems. Many poems were attributed to be inspired or written in this place.
Dao Ning Zhai 道宁斋
Named after a poem written by himself, Dao Ning Zhai 道宁斋, or “Path to Serenity Study”, was the study of Emperor Qianlong. It was built together with the rest of the complex and the emperor used this study for leisure reading and writing. It was recorded that the emperor used to hold recitals with the literati here.6
In 1925, this hall was converted to a Western-style restaurant while Yi Lan Hall was converted to a Chinese restaurant. In 1955, the state took over and changed this to an Imperial Banquet restaurant for locals and Yi Lan Hall was reserved for foreign guest.7
The calligraphy works in this hall are all original poems and couplets written by Qianlong. Like the couplet in the entrance8, the poem in the private chamber9, are all recorded in “Complete Library in Four Branches of Literature”「四库全书」.
Yuan Fan Ge 远帆阁
Just like Bi Zhao Lou 碧照楼, this two-storey Yuan Fan Ge 远帆阁, or “Faraway Sails Pavilion”, serves as a vantage point in the north of the west wing of the complex for Emperor Qianlong to enjoy the view of the Taiye Pool.
Like the rest of the buildings, this place was restored to its original splendour with period furnitures and art pieces to give the visitors a sense of the history of the place.
North Slopes 北坡山麓
The North Slopes can be divided into two parts: the foothills and the waterfront. The buildings at the foothills include the Baochong Room 抱冲室, Yihu Tiandi 一壶天地, the Ancient Hall 酣古堂, the Panlan Jingshe 盘岚精舍, the Desheng Building 得胜楼, etc. Both parts are built with reference to Jinshan Temple 金山寺 in Zhenjiang. On the northwest side of the hillside, there is also a bronze immortal state.
Bronze Statue of Immortal Collecting Dew 铜仙承露盘
Located on the north slopes, Bronze Statue of Immortal Collecting Dew 铜仙承露盘 stands on top of the white marble dragon pillar facing north, holding a pan over his head. The bronze immortal is cast in bronze and stands on a carved white marble pillar, reaching a height of 6.6m in total. It was cast in the Qing Dynasty.
Unofficial source has it that It was purportedly built and cast by Emperor Qianlong imitating the story of Han Emperor Wu 汉武帝. According to legend, Han Emperor Wu once placed an immortal dew pan on a worship pedestal in his palace to collect dew for making elixir pills.
It is said that the pan can collect the morning dew for making elixir pills for the empress, but Emperor Qianlong did not put up the pillar for this purpose, solely for aesthetic purpose. 10
Qian Yan Shi 嵌岩室
The “Cave Room” 嵌岩室 （嵌巗室）is found in the walled up compound referred to as to as the North Slopes. This is the first of a row of buildings on the North Slopes that end with the Bronze Immortal Statue. Nothing much was actually found about them, but Emperor Qianlong wrote quite a number of poems about this place.11 There’s also a documentary made by CCTV about this group of buildings in the North Slopes, 《跟着书本去旅行》 20230622 北海秘境——一壶天地
Because of conservation purposes, the North Slopes are off limits to allow the flora, including 8 ancient pine trees, to survive the very harsh soil conditions.
Waterfront Corridor 延楼
Along the promenade of Yi Lan Hall facing Taiye Lake is a hundred-meter-long waterfront corridor called Yan Lou 延楼 (“Extending Hallway”).12
The corridor stretches from Fenliang Ge 分凉阁 or “Coolness Sharing Pavilion” in the west to Yiqing Lou 倚晴楼 or “Clear View Pavilion” in the east.
The most significant characteristic of Chinese architecture is the use of timber framework. Wooden posts, beams, lintels and joists make up the framework of a house and, here, a covered walkway. Paintings and carvings were added to the architectural work to make it more beautiful and attractive.
A richly ornamented building is often admired for its carved beams and painted rafters. Exquisite paintings draw the visitor’s eye away from the entire construction to the detailed decorations, their delicate patterns, thoughtful composition, and harmonious color tones. They convey the essence of Chinese culture, aesthetic spirit, and oriental philosophy.
Beam Art
Official designers in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) developed a series of colour painting techniques that were used in official architectures and varied in styles and themes. The elegant Suzhou-style 苏式 paintings mimicked a style popular in eastern China and is featured here.
These paintings enhanced the visual appeal of the garden architecture, adding richness and colour to the wooden structures. The imagery on the beams often held symbolic significance, reflecting the emperor’s power, longevity, and connection to nature.
Popular themes included landscapes, floral motifs, mythical creatures, and scenes from classical literature. The other place to see these beautiful beam paintings would be the Long Corridor in the Summer Palace, which holds the Guinness World Record for the longest painted corridor.
Hanging Flower Gate 垂花门
The “Hanging Flower Gate” 垂花门 is a door inside the courtyard of ancient Chinese buildings. Because its eaves columns do not touch the ground but hang under the eaves, they are called hanging columns 垂柱 which are ended by a hanging bead 垂珠 underneath. These are usually painted in the form of petals, hence the gate is Chuihua Men 垂花门 or “Hanging Flower Gate”.
Other Decorative Elements
Calligraphy works were widely used on decorations in ancient Chinese architecture, for instance, an inscribed board on the lintel, and as couplet written on pillars. China is the only country which characteristically shows these decorations on the buildings.
This link has a fantastic collection of photos from the 1920s of Yi Lan Hall (external site belong to Beijing Government).
About Beihai Park 北海公园
Beihai Park 北海公園 was originally Beihai 北海, or North Sea, of the “Three Seas of the Imperial Western Gardens” 西苑三海 of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is located within the Imperial City, northwest of the Forbidden City, and was the royal garden only for enjoyment by the royal family of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, spanning across a period of almost a thousand year. In 1925, it was opened to the public as a park.
First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving Chinese gardens and contains numerous historically important structures, palaces, and temples. The present park has an area of around 71 hectares (180 acres) with a lake that covers more than half of its area.
At its centre is Jade Flower Island 瓊華島/琼华岛, whose highest point is 32m. The park’s lake is connected at its northern end to the Shichahai 什刹海 (a nightlife area of pubs and restaurants around the lake) and to Zhonghai 中海 (where the central government of China operates and closed to public) to the southern end.
As with many of Chinese imperial gardens, Beihai was designed to imitate renowned scenic spots and architecture from various regions of China, particularly Jiangnan around the Yangtze Delta. Various aspects of the park evoke the elaborate pavilions and canals of Hangzhou and Yangzhou, the delicate gardens of Suzhou, and the natural scenery around Lake Tai with its famously porous stones. Beihai Park itself is now reckoned one of the masterpieces of Chinese gardening and landscaping.
The park is opened all year round, and can be accessed from four gates, two on the southern end (West and South gates), one in the north (North gate) and one on the east side (East gate). The park would need at least 4 hours to see everything.
Opening hours for the park are 6am – 9pm (peak season, Apr-Oct), 6.30am – 8pm (off peak, Nov-Mar); Opening hours for the attractions are 8am – 6pm (peak season), 8.30am – 5.30pm (off peak)
Visited May 2023
Footnotes :
- 2014年1月，为响应中央的整治要求，北京市开始对公园内的24家高档私人会所进行停业整顿。其中包括地坛公园内的乙十六总店、北海公园乙十六御膳堂等等。乙十六御膳堂被列入“城市公园内的高档餐饮及企业租用经营场所”而停业整顿。随后“御膳堂”牌匾被摘下，换上“仿膳饭庄”匾额，仿膳饭庄于2014年5月中旬在乙十六御膳堂原址（即1925年仿膳茶社原址）开张营业。被仿膳饭庄长期占用的古建筑漪澜堂由此获得腾退，归北海公园对外开放。https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-sg/仿膳饭庄#cite_note-qian-1 ↩︎
- 2016年，在各方共同努力下进行漪澜堂古建筑群腾退，仿膳搬出。2019年起，北海公园开始对漪澜堂建筑群内3900余平方米38座文物建筑、1万平方米建筑群内山形水系及整体环境进行全面修缮修整，历时3年，于2022年12月29日正式向社会公众开放。https://www.beihaipark.com.cn/2024/06-26/484.html ↩︎
- 乾隆三十八年，乾隆皇帝作塔山北面记，写道：“盖山之北以堂与斋为主室，而围堂与斋北临太液，延楼六十楹，东尽倚晴楼，西尽分凉阁，有碧照楼、远帆阁分峙其间，各对堂与斋之中。南瞻窣堵，北俯沧波，颇具金山江天之概。故登楼与阁，偶有吟咏，无不以是为言…”文中记叙了漪澜堂的建筑特点，体现了乾隆皇帝对园林艺术的热爱和追求。https://www.beihaipark.com.cn/2024/06-26/484.html ↩︎
- 亭台错落的漪澜堂，让乾隆皇帝流连忘返。他夏天来此临水赏荷，冬天观赏冰嬉大典。据说，他还经常在漪澜堂前湖垂钓，并将垂钓之物赏赐文武大臣。有时，乾隆在漪澜堂赐宴群臣和来华使节，参与修建圆明园的外国画家郎世宁、蒋友仁就曾被赐宴。一时间，“前湖垂钓，后堂烹食”，成为乾隆皇帝给予文武百官的极高待遇。http://www.360doc.com/content/23/0221/13/27794381_1068758718.shtml ↩︎
- 回归后的漪澜堂以室内原状式展览展陈的形式与游客重新见面。
楠木包厢床，床上布置着手工织绣的炕宝座，宝座后设立屏风，再现乾隆所著游记《塔山北面记》内容，床上还配有玉石柄宝刀与仿紫檀嵌玉如意等较为常见的皇家休闲空间陈设品……进入漪澜堂室内，陈设布置庄重、规整。
殿内西墙上还悬挂着手工织绣装饰画——竹石双凤图挂屏及手工刺绣博古挂屏，极具清代宫廷色彩。北海公园研究室主任张冕说，像这样的织绣物品，在漪澜堂建筑群里一共有近30件，全部由宫廷织绣技艺传承手工制作，为的就是留住宫廷“味道”。https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20230203A03QAP00?no-redirect=1 ↩︎ - 北海公园漪澜堂古建筑群位于北海公园琼华岛北麓，始建于清乾隆十六年(1751年)，仿照江苏镇江金山寺所建造，包括漪澜堂、碧照楼、道宁斋、远帆阁、晴栏花韵、戏台等主要建筑。其中，漪澜堂为乾隆皇帝读书之处；道宁斋为清代皇帝与御用文人吟诗咏文之地；晴栏花韵为看戏房；碧照楼和远帆阁为登高赏景之所。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47Qrlplzo8s ↩︎
- 1925年北海公园对游人开放后，漪澜堂开设中餐馆，道宁斋开设西餐馆。1955年漪澜堂开设饭庄，作外宾招待室使用。1959年至1960年，公园对漪澜堂、道宁斋、碧照楼、远帆阁、晴栏花韵等建筑进行大修。修缮完工后，在周恩来总理的指示下，位于北海北岸的仿膳饭庄搬迁至漪澜堂，在此经营清宫菜肴及冷热点心等，直至2016年4月18日仿膳饭庄腾退漪澜堂。2017年5月18日，漪澜堂正式对外开放。https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_c14b25cb0102x5h5.html ↩︎
- 閣後為道寧齋，聯曰：風自涼經松越峭，月原明映水逾清。
阁后是道宁斋，（道宁斋有）对联写道：风本就清凉，经过松林后越发显得冷峭；月亮原本明亮，倒映在水中后更加清澈。（清） 于敏中 撰《國朝宮史》國朝宮史倦十六 《西苑下》，四庫全書本，第23頁 https://www.shidianguji.com/zh/book/SK1173/chapter/1kf50aa8vf3tm?page_from=reading_page¶graphId=7426166394221510706&keywords=御制&hightlightIndex=0&version=6&contentMatch=1 ↩︎ - 御製道寧齋詩：仲舒對制冊，道者治所繇。諸葛戒中郎，寧靜匪外求。
御制的《道宁斋诗》说：‘董仲舒回答皇帝的策问，阐述了道是治国的根本。’诸葛亮告诫侄子诸葛瞻，宁静的心态并非要从外界寻求。（清） 于敏中 撰《國朝宮史》國朝宮史倦十六 《西苑下》，四庫全書本，第23頁 ↩︎ - 铜仙承露盘铸于清代，相传，它是清乾隆皇帝仿汉武帝故事而建铸造的。位于北京北海公园内的琼岛北山腰处，铜仙双手托盘，面北立于蟠龙石柱上。据说，铜盘可承接甘露，为帝后拌药，旨在延年益寿。铜仙承露盘于石座上竖汉白玉蟠龙柱，柱顶端立一双手托盘的铜人，通高6.6米。据记载，汉武帝曾在建章宫神明台置仙人承露盘，用以承接露水，相传用其服药可以长生不老。清乾隆皇帝立此并非为了承露，乃是缀景之物。https://www.beihaipark.com.cn/2017/10-30/73.html ↩︎
- 《塔山北面记》引首“探幽运斗”，释文：
自阅古楼岩墙门出，转而东，则邀山亭，又东北则酣古堂，堂之东室依石洞。循洞而东，则写妙石室。堂与室之南，皆塔山之阴，或石壁、或茂林森峙不可上，而室之东间，乃楼也。踏梯以降，复为洞，窈窱窅暎，若陶穴、若嵌奁，旋转光怪，不可殚极。若是者行数百武(步)向东，忽得洞门，出则豁然开朗。小庵三间，曰盘岚精舍。而其南，则仍石岩陡立，然羊肠之径，可以跻而上，达看画廊，廊属山东景，兹不复缀。自精舍转而北至环碧楼，缘飞廊而下，则嵌岩室。折而西，小山亭，额曰一壸天地。又西扇面房，额曰延南熏。其盘岚精舍之西，由洞门北行数十武(步)，亦达扇面房。自房而西为小昆邱，盖亩鉴室水，盈池则伏流不见。至邱东，始擘巌而出为瀑布，沿溪赴壑，而归墟于太液之波。又西为铜露盘，铜仙竦双手承之，高可寻尺，此不过缀景取露。实不若荷叶之易，则汉武之事，率可知矣!又西为得性楼、为延德精舍、为抱冲室、为邻山书屋，名虽殊而因高以降，或一间，或两架，皆随其宛转高下之趣，而各与题额。又自亩鉴室北墙门而出，缘山蹊亦可达此。至邻山书屋，则就平地廊，接道宁斋矣。其东乃漪澜堂。盖山之北，以堂与斋为主室，而围堂与斋，北邻太液，延楼六十楹，东尽倚晴楼、西尽分凉阁，有碧照楼、远帆阁分峙其间。各对堂与斋之中，南瞻窣堵，北俯沧波，颇具金山江天之概。故登楼与阁，偶有吟咏，无不以是为言。由漪澜堂而东，则莲华室，以奉大士及妙法莲华经得名。出墙门而南，则为塔山东面之境矣!若夫，各室内，或题额、或联语，率铭意寄兴，无关于景概之全，斯则不悉载。癸巳长至月，御笔。 钤印：“乾隆宸翰”、“太上皇帝之宝”、“古希天子”、“石渠宝笈所藏”“干”、“隆”、“五福五代堂古稀天子宝”、“八征耄念之宝”、“游六艺圃”、“见天心、“垂露”、“学镜千古”“万有同春”、“人情为由”、“德惟一”、“妙意写清快”、“笔端造化”、“茹古含今”、“乐意寓静观”、“天根月窟”。http://www.chinashj.com/sh-jxdsh-sf/9861.html ↩︎ - 漪澜堂外围，西起分凉阁、东至倚晴楼是一条数百米长的临水延楼游廊。https://topics.gmw.cn/2023-02/23/content_36386528.htm ↩︎
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