This garden within a garden was a favourite of Emperor Qianlong, and the effort he took to build is evident in the details of every nook and cranny.

Jingxin Studio 静心斋, or ‘Studio of the Peaceful Heart’, was a favourite summer retreat of Emperor Qianlong, who would sip tea, listen to the melodic plucking of the guqin (Chinese zither) and enjoy the carp-filled pools of this garden within a garden. Built in 1757, its pavilions, terraces and buildings are surrounded by picturesque hills and waters that exhibit classic landscape art despite its small land area.

History of Jingxin Studio 静心斋

Jingxin Studio 静心斋, or Studio of the Peaceful Heart, was originally named the Jingqing Studio 镜清斋, or Clear Mirror Studio. Its construction began in 1756 during the 21st year of the reign of Qing Emperor Qianlong, and was completed two years later. Named by Qianlong, Jingqing 镜清 represents “a scholar’s humility to correct oneself in front of the mirror.” Empress Dowager in 1885 changed it to Jingxin 静心 as she felt it wasn’t auspicious (Qing dynasty was in a decline), and quoted Zhuangzi’s “The Full Understanding of Life” 《庄子·达生》, meaning “composure of one’s mind.” ¹

In the 11th year of Qing Guangxu reign (1885), Empress Dowager Cixi misappropriated naval funds to build and renovate the building in Jingxin Studio, and set up a small railway station with her new infatuation with modernity. The railway tracks stretched from Zhongnanhai through Yangze Gate along the northwest bank of the lakes. You can see how the funds were used by sliding it along to compare the garden that Qianlong built in 1759 vs the expansion in 1885.²

The station was destroyed by invading Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900. The headquarters of the Japanese Army was located in Jingxin Studio, which caused the destruction of the place. When Yuan Shikai was in power in 1913, he renovated this place and used it as a place for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to entertain guests.

After 1949 (founding of PRC), Jingxin Studio served as the office of the Office of the State Council and the Central Institute of Literature and History. In November 1981, Jingxin Studio was returned to Beihai Park and opened to public.³

Design of the Garden

Located in the north shores of Beihai Park, Jingxin Studio is next to Hall of the Heavenly Guardians 天王殿 of Western Heaven Temple 西天梵境. Because it was designed to be a place for study, the surrounding is serene and quiet, unlike the hustle and bustle of its neighbour.

The Jingxin Studio Garden is dominated by Taihu rockeries, surrounded by various buildings, pavilions, as well as bridges over flowing water. The overall layout is ingenious, reflecting the essence of the classical Chinese garden art. The buildings in the garden are also designed to for the specific purpose of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, such as Yunqin Studio, Baosu Study, and Huaxuan Studio, etc.⁵

A feature of Jingxin Studio is that the beam and lintel decorations of the buildings are all Suzhou-style colour paintings, which is to protect the wooden components from rots and insects decays. In the Qianlong period, they are colourful and luxuriously decorated, so they are also known as “official Suzhou-style paintings” “官式苏画.”

There are three main categories of Suzhou-style colour paintings: square-heart-style 方心式苏画, engulfing-style 包袱式苏画, and sea-pattern-style 海墁式苏画. The three styles can be seen in Jingxin Studio in themes that mainly reflect celebration, auspiciousness and wealth.⁶

Jingqing Zhai 镜清斋

Emperor Qianlong (1736-95) described the elegance of the structure in a poem which includes the following lines, “临池构屋如临镜” (“Sitting in the house facing the lake, one seems to be looking into a mirror.”), hence the name Jingqing Zhai 镜清斋, or “Clear Mirror Studio”. The building’s name plaque bears the handwriting in official-script style by the famous Chinese diplomat Lu Zhengxiang 陆徵祥⁷ (1871-1942).

“Clear Mirror Studio” is the principal structure of Jingxin Studio Garden. Five bays wide, the main hall has corridors in front, a belvedere at the rear, and verandas surrounding a square pond on four sides, attesting to the designer’s emphasis on water scenery. Originally, it was an ordinary official house in the Ming dynasty. In the 24th year of Qianlong reign (1757), the emperor decided to renovate this place as part of the expansion of Western Heaven Temple 西天梵境.

The belvedere at the back is specifically designed for the user to “enjoy a waterside view without getting off the day bed” (“不下堂筵而能坐穷泉壑”), hence the large size of 14m long and 3.4m wide.⁸ Because of his fondness to this place, this garden is also known as the “Qianlong’s Secret Garden” or “乾隆小花园”.⁹

The main hall is an Emperor’s throne with a beautiful natural marble screen behind it. Hanging in the middle is plaque in Qianlong’s writing “不为物先”, or “Do not seek material pleasure.”¹⁰ Such irony as he was the most extravagant emperor amongst those in the Qing dynasty. Thanks to him, we get to enjoy such masterful relics from the period.

This is the largest building in the whole garden. And because it is for the use of the emperor, it is decked with the most extravagant decorations and art pieces. Most of these furnitures are replicas built in the same style of that era. All the paintings are digital recreations of the originals so the look-and-feel should be quite authentic.

The porch facing north towards the pavilion has a day bed decorated using the royal yellow. Above the day bed hangs the plaque written by Empress Dowager Cixi, “华清春晓” (“The land clears in the dawn of spring”).¹¹ If you have not noticed, all of the plaques you see in palaces and royal abodes are written by the emperors. This one is by someone who thought she was the emperor.

Baosu Study 抱素书屋

Qing emperors enjoyed reading in Baosu Study 抱素书屋. The word Baosu is quoted from “Treatise on Rites and Music in History”《汉书•礼乐志》from Han dynasty (206BC-220AD), “易乱除邪，革正异俗，兆民反本，抱素怀朴。” , alluding to the fact that people are honest and simple and enjoy a peaceful life when society is stable and prosperous. This also alludes to the ideal government Emperor Qianlong wanted to establish.¹²

Between the study and the stone bridge is an ancient Platycladus Orientalis (cypress tree). There are many of these trees in the garden that are at least 300-400 years old and protected by law for their conservation.

The study is elegant and contains many of the elements that are similar to the studies inside the Forbidden Palace. One one side, there’s the table where the emperor will practice calligraphy, on the other side a tea lounge to enjoy the beverage that would most likely come from Beicha Teahouse next door.

And next to the Baosu Study is Yunqin Studio, which is a music studio where the emperor will practice his qin (Chinese zither). Because of its secluded location, this small courtyard is now favourite spot for social media influencers wearing their Hanfu (Chinese traditional costumes) to take their selfies. Kind of cute to see these cosplayers adding to the charm of the place, just don’t come out at night (spooky).

Yunqin Studio 韵琴斋

Yunqin 韵琴 means a place to enjoy Chinese zither music. But, the word Yunqin here has a wider significance: it also refers to the tinkle and gurgle of the courtyard’s waterfall. This harmonious music symbolises an upright government and an orderly political atmosphere – a metaphor for the reign of a wise ruler.

Yunqin Studio 韵琴斋, or “Melodious Zither Studio”, is two rooms wide; there are four checkered glass doors in the south room, and glass windows and brick walls in the north room. There used to be a difference in the water level here, and the spring water will make a crystal clear trickling sound. Now, due to the change in the water level, the sound of running water can no longer be heard.¹³

Bixian Pavilion 碧鲜亭

There is a brocade window on the south wall of Yunqin Studio, and outside the window is the Bixian Pavilion. Bixian Pavilion 碧鲜亭, or “Dazzling Jade Pavilion”, is a square pavilion with one side of the pavilion built into the studio south wall. You can see the vast scenery of Taiye Lake and the towering White Pagoda in the far end.¹⁴ Strangely, the pavilion is actually outside the compound of Jingxin Studio.

Beicha Teahouse 焙茶坞

The teahouse, in an architectural style typical of that Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River), is where Emperor Qianlong enjoyed tea. Beicha “焙茶” (Tea Drying) inscribed on the plaque refers to the farmers hard work in the tea planting and making process.

Replacement furniture in these rooms brings the visitors back to the era of emperors and their concubines, about the fights between the women for one man’s favours.

Xiaoyudai Bridge 小玉带桥

Xiaoyudai Bridge 小玉带桥, or “Little Jade Belt Bridge”, was built in 21st year of Qianlong reign (1756) to connect Baosu Study across to the other side of the water.

The bridge is a single-arch stone bridge built completely with white marble, and is decorated with 12 pomegranate lotus pillars and 10 hollow floating cloud treasure bottle guardrails on both sides of the bridge. A water-absorbing beast called Gong Fu 蚣蝮 (one of the nine sons of the dragons) is carved in the middle of the arch, and four mountain beasts 靠山兽 sit on the bridgehead with their backs against hollowed rocks.¹⁵

Yanhua Study 罨画轩

To the north of the stone bridge along the stone path around the pool up a gentle slope is Yanhua Study 罨画轩, or “Bright Colour Painting Study”. It is the best scenic spot in the whole garden. Yanhua “罨画” refers to the gorgeous colours on buildings or clothing. The name suggests you can enjoy the gorgeous and picturesque scenery in the garden here. The architecture design of the Yanhua Study is roughly the same as that of the Baosu Study.¹⁶

“Bright-Coloured Painting Study” offers the best vantage point because of its position on the stacked stones. Emperor Qianlong composed a poem saying this place gave picturesque views and an aesthetic feeling as if the viewer were an actual part of the picturesque scene, “来凭罨画窗，读画隔岸对”/ “看者原为画里人”.

On the right side of the art studio is Duhua Corridor 读画廊, or “Painting Viewing Corridor” (aka “Hill Climbing Corridor” 爬山廊), which leads up the hill that was added in 1887. This will lead you to Diecui Tower 叠翠楼, which is the highest point in this northern side of Beihai Park. Unfortunately it is closed to the public.

The interior of the studio has been recreated with period furnitures. We cannot ascertain if they are originals or not, but there were some pieces of furniture left behind in the Palace, it would not be surprising that they came from there and were appropriately restored. The paintings however are digital reproductions of the originals to their exact size and colours.

Huafeng Studio 画峰馆

Next to Clear Mirror Studio is Huafeng Studio 画峰室, or “Peak Painting Studio”, a smaller art studio which was closed when I was there. But the garden behind it leading to the servants’ quarters is still accessible to get to the Five Turn Bridge. The gallery over the water 六孔过水游廊 to the left of the studio was added in 1887.

There is a pool in the south of the studio surrounded rockeries and crossed with a stacked stone footpath bridget, leading to the side of the other courtyard on the west side. It is not known if the stacked Taihu stones were there originally or added in 1887.

Zhenluan Pavilion 枕巒亭

Built on a pile of Taihu stones is Zhenluan Pavilion 枕巒亭, or “Laying on a Mountain Pavilion”, built by Qianlong and rebuilt/renamed by Guangxu in 1887. It is no longer accessible by the public but one can imaging the beautiful aspect of the garden you get from that high up.

The octagonal pavilion has upturned eaves, staggered double-layer rafters, and the two-layered octagonal roof top. It was praised by Qianlong as “莲朵珠宫”, or “Lotus Pearl Palace”.¹⁷

Five Turn Bridge 五折曲桥

First of many additions by Empress Dowager Cixi, Five Turn Bridge 五折曲桥 connects Qinquan Gallery with Huafeng Studio. Originally built with wood, it was converted to the present form in 1997. ¹⁸

Qinquan Gallery 沁泉廊

Qinquan Gallery 沁泉廊, or “Seeping Stream Gallery”, is a overwater corridor with a stone bridge under it. There are four granite square piers each in the north and south of the bridge, and a trapezoidal rolling dam is formed between the piers.

The gallery was built at the same time as Diecui Tower, North Corridor and Duhua Corridor (aka Hill Climbing Corridor 爬山廊) in the 13th year of Guangxu reign (1887) alleged from funds left aside for the navy. It is 12.1m long, and 2.3m wide, with 8 pillars holding up an upturned roofs with decorated beams and lintels in Suzhou-style paintings. ¹⁹

Qinquan Gallery is open on all four sides and is three room wide. The north and south sides of the Qinquan corridor are equipped with mahogany guardrails and stools, which are open to pass through from east and west, connecting the stacked stone trail with the Five Turn Bridge.

Diecui Tower 叠翠楼

Hidden behind the Zhenluan Pavilion is a two-storey building called Diecui Tower 叠翠楼, or “Tower of Stacking Jade”, built for the pleasure of Empress Dowager in 1887. It can only be accessed by the long corridors that from Yanhua Study from the east end and Huafeng Study from west end. Unfortunately access to the building was closed when I visited, but you can still vaguely see it behind the pavilion among the towering pine trees.

Diecui Tower is five sections, two storeys with corridors on all sides. The upper floor is connect to the cover corridor from the north, and the lower floor is connect to Duhua Corridor from the east. This is the highest point of the whole garden. Climbing upstairs, you not only can overlook the scenery of the whole garden, but also overlook Taiye Lake and Jade Islet from afar. ²⁰

This is the most beautiful garden inside Beihai Park, wonderfully restored and maintained. Here’s a couple of videos that explain some of the features in more detail. Sorry, it’s in Mandarin.

About Beihai Park 北海公园

Scroll left or right of the image using the arrows or your mouse horizontal axis wheel

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. 

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 :

1. 慈禧觉得乾隆起的名别扭，改为“静心”
   北海公园是京城最古老的皇家园林，而静心斋、画舫斋和濠濮涧是其中知名的“园中园”。
   为了使寻游更富情趣，我特意邀请在北海公园工作了20多年的王师傅给我做“导游”。我们从北海公园北门入园，往南一走，就来到太液池北岸，再向西走，便来到静心斋门前，但见门檐下匾额上“静心斋”三个金字端庄而凝重。
   王师傅介绍说，静心斋的历史有260多年，是清乾隆二十二年（1757年）弘历第二次巡视江南回京后，诏令在“西苑三海”之一的北海仿建一座以叠石为主景，配以亭榭楼阁、一步一景的“园中园”，以为读书之所，并赐名“镜清斋”。“镜”，即“以铜（镜）为鉴，可以正衣冠；以人为鉴，可以明得失；以史为鉴，可以知兴替”；“清”则是清心寡欲，有“淡泊明志，宁静致远”之内涵。
   “那为什么现在叫‘静心斋’呢？”我不解地问。
   王师傅言道，光绪十一年（1885年）初，慈禧到西苑（北海）踏青赏景，当巡至镜清斋门前时，驻足许久。此时清朝已日渐衰落，她也心知肚明，所以越看越觉得“镜清”二字不吉利：“镜清”乃“镜中之大清”，大清国怎能如一面镜子，到头来空空如也？慈禧太后思量再三，便将“镜清斋”改为“静心斋”，典出《庄子·达生》：“臣将为鐻，未尝敢以耗气也，必齐以静心。”意为知觉、领悟，即使心灵安定宁静。https://www.bannedbook.org/bnews/cbnews/20230909/1931303.html ↩︎
2. 静心斋，原名镜清斋，坐落在北海公园北岸，西邻天王殿。这座园林始建于清乾隆二十二年（1757年），原为皇太子读书的书斋。由于其主要功能是作为书斋，设计上特别注重营造宁静、幽静的环境。园林以叠石为主景，周围点缀着各种建筑、亭榭、楼阁，以及小桥流水和叠石岩洞，整体布局巧妙，体现了北方庭院园林艺术的精华。园中的建筑也根据琴、棋、书、画的需求而设计，如韵琴斋、抱素书屋、罨画轩等，营造出俯流水、韵文琴、发文思和修身养性的环境。
   […]
   1913年，袁世凯执政时，对静心斋进行了大修，并将其作为外交部宴请宾客的场所。1949年后，静心斋成为国务院参事室和中央文史研究馆的办公地，清朝末代皇帝溥仪解放后也在此办公。
   1981年11月，静心斋最终归还北海公园，再次成为公众游览的古典园林。https://mbd.baidu.com/newspage/data/dtlandingsuper?nid=dt_5135319829182740547&sourceFrom=search_a ↩︎
3. 清光绪十一年（1885年）慈禧挪用海军经费增修斋内建筑，并设小火车站，铁轨由中南海经阳泽门沿西北岸直抵斋门。光绪二十六年八国联军侵占北海，车站被毁。1900年八国联军侵占北京，日本侵略军司令部就设在静心斋，致使静心斋惨遭破坏。1913年袁世凯执政时，对这里大加修缮，并把这里作为外交部宴请宾客的地方。1949年后，静心斋作为了国务院参事室和中央文史研究馆1的办公地，清朝末代皇帝溥仪解放后也曾在此办公。1981年11月，静心斋始归还北海公园。https://mbd.baidu.com/newspage/data/dtlandingsuper?nid=dt_5135319829182740547&sourceFrom=search_a ↩︎
4. 关于这块人工石的来历，未见记载。从若干老照片中也未见其影，只能说明当时斋前无景，池内无石，没有拍摄的价值。有一张日伪时期静心斋平面图，佐证了这一想法，从图中可以看出，镜清斋前的莲池中央并没有画出人工石。以日本人刻板、认真的性格，不可能是疏忽漏画，只能说明当时莲池中根本就没有人工石。日本学者冈大路（生年不详~1962年）绘制的静心斋平面图，昭和18年（1943年）。 ↩︎
5. 园林以叠石为主景，周围点缀着各种建筑、亭榭、楼阁，以及小桥流水和叠石岩洞，整体布局巧妙，体现了北方庭院园林艺术的精华。园中的建筑也根据琴、棋、书、画的需求而设计，如韵琴斋、抱素书屋、罨画轩等，营造出俯流水、韵文琴、发文思和修身养性的环境。 ↩︎
6. 静心斋作为乾隆时期的园林建筑，还有一个特点就是园内建筑的梁枋装饰采用的都是苏式彩画，其作用是保护木构件不被腐蚀、虫蛀，并对建筑加以装饰。苏式彩画尤以乾隆时期的彩画色彩艳丽，装饰华贵，故又称。苏式彩画中包括三个主要类别：方心式苏画、包袱式苏画、海墁式苏画。在静心斋这三种类型均可看到，园内的苏画主要体现的是喜庆、吉祥、富贵之意。 ↩︎
7. 镜清斋前接檐廊，后出抱厦。“镜清斋”三字的隶书匾额为民国二年陆徵祥（民国首任外交总长）所补。明间的檐柱和廊柱上各有一副楹联：檐柱上的楹联是“照槛净无尘 风来水面，开帘光有象 月印波心”；廊柱上的楹联是“凭观悟有术，妙理契无为”。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
8. 镜清斋后的抱厦部分，是为“不下堂筵而能坐穷泉壑”而用，因此比较宽大，面宽14米，进深3.4米。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
9. 本来是明代普通官房，清乾隆二十四年（1757年）在扩建“西天梵境”时修建了镜清斋，也称“乾隆小花园”。https://m.thepaper.cn/kuaibao_detail.jsp?contid=3611786&from=kuaibao ↩︎
10. 明间设屏风宝座，正中悬挂乾隆御笔并加钤宝印的“不为物先”黄底黑字匾额。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
11. 抱厦明间朝北设有龙榻，龙榻上方悬挂慈禧“御笔”并加钤宝印的“华清春晓”白底黑字匾额。 ↩︎
12. 比喻民風淳樸，人心安定。如：「現今社會人人勾心鬥角，用盡心機，不禁令人想念往昔抱素懷樸的日子。」《樂府詩集．卷一．郊廟歌辭一．漢郊祀歌．玄冥》：「易亂除邪，革正異俗，兆民反本，抱素懷樸。」https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=22743&webMd=1&la=0 ↩︎
13. 水池东岸的韵琴斋，坐东朝西，两开间，南间开四扇带裙板的花格玻璃门，北间是玻璃窗加砖槛墙。此处曾经有水位差，泉水流经会发出“碎玉声”，所以有韵琴斋听泉声之说，如今由于水位变化已经听不到流水之声了。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
14. 韵琴斋的南山墙开有一扇锦窗，窗外就是碧鲜亭。碧鲜亭为灰筒瓦卷棚悬山顶四方形半山亭，亭后柱嵌入韵琴斋南墙内。从南山墙的锦窗透过碧鲜亭眺望，浩渺的太液风光及巍巍白塔，尽收眼底。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
15. 抱素书屋后身正北水之面上为小玉带桥，原建于清乾隆二十一年(1756年)。桥为单孔石拱桥，青白石石砌拱券，券洞正中雕吸水兽。花岗岩桥身，桥两侧装有12根石榴头莲花望柱和10块镂空浮云宝瓶护栏板，四只靠山兽背靠镂空山石坐于桥头。 ↩︎
16. 小玉带桥桥北沿石磴绕池往东为三开间罨（yǎn）画轩，高居叠石之上，是静心斋全园最佳观景点。“罨画”原是指建筑或衣料上绚丽的彩画，取此名的意思即是在这里可以欣赏到园内绚丽如画的景色。罨画轩形制与东跨院抱素书屋大致相同。https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/382380284 ↩︎
17. 五折曲桥西北太湖石假山上即枕峦亭，八角起脊飞檐，外挑错落双层椽头，两叠八角塔式顶刹，被乾隆誉为“莲朵珠宫”。此亭枕假山而立，登亭可览园中全景：北有爬山廊，南有六孔过水游廊，东有五折曲桥，西面还有假山绵延。光绪十三年重修后，光绪帝御题匾额“枕峦亭”。 ↩︎
18. 沁泉廊西侧是一座青石板五折五孔石平桥，名五折曲桥，由东北向西南跨越水池，连接沁泉廊与西跨院画峰室。原来是篱笆式的木桥栏，1977年换成木望柱和金属栏杆。 ↩︎
19. 沁泉廊桥名曰“沁泉廊”，位于画峰室西侧，建于清光绪十三年（1887年），与叠翠楼及爬山廊同期添建。沁泉廊桥长12.1米，宽2.3米，桥为三孔，花岗岩方石桥礅，桥面木板，桥礅上立八根红漆柱，彩画廊檐，青灰筒瓦，卷棚屋顶，桥上两侧装红木护栏楣子坐凳，支桌摆椅开设茶座，供游人饮茶小憩。 ↩︎
20. 叠翠楼五楹二层，四面出廊，上层后檐廊东接后院北面的半壁廊，下层前檐廊西接后院西端的爬山游廊。明间开四扇带裙板的花格玻璃门，东西次间和稍间都是玻璃窗加砖槛墙。台基及石阶均妆点叠石。叠翠楼是全园的制高点，登临楼上，不但可以俯瞰静心斋全园的景物，而且极目远眺，太液秋波、琼岛春荫、景山秀色、西天梵境尽收眼底。现已禁止参观，叠翠楼网图。 ↩︎