2025 is the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum, and both museums (Taipei and Beijing) have organised many activities celebrating this milestone. While the the National Palace Museum (Taipei) focuses on artefacts and rare paintings, the Palace Museum (Beijing) showcases some of the recent conservation work done to the architecture of the Forbidden City 紫禁城.1
The Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity 寧壽宮花園 is located within the Palace of Tranquil Longevity 寧壽宮, and can be accessed only if you have bought the additional ticket for the Treasure Gallery 珍寶館 (which is RMB 10 at the publishing of this post). While it wasn’t really expensive, the ticket, like the ticket to the Palace Museum, needs to be reserved as it is almost impossible to get the slot on the spot.
Located in the western rear section of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity 寧壽宮 complex, this garden was constructed in 1776, during Emperor Qianlong reign in the Qing dynasty.2
Intended as a retreat for Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) in his old age, the garden is therefore also known as the “Qianlong Garden”. Emperor Qianlong lived to the age of 89, making him the longest-lived emperor in Chinese history. Actually, he never lived in this area for his retirement; he just went for a visit in his spare time.3
Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity 寧壽宮花園
Occupying a long and narrow site approximately 160 meters from north to south and 40 meters from east to west, the garden is ingeniously divided into four sequential courtyards. A passionate lover of poetry, painting, and calligraphy, and an avid collector and connoisseur of the arts, he is often regarded as a literati emperor. This garden is a concrete reflection of his artistic ideals and vision for life in retirement.
Its pavilions, towers, rockeries, and trees are arranged with intricate design, combining the elegant delicacy of the private gardens of Jiangnan (China’s lower Yangtze region) with the opulent grandeur of imperial gardens. The Qianlong Garden not only represents the pinnacle of Qing imperial garden arts but also embodies the emperor’s refined aesthetic sense and pursuit of artistic perfection.
In a diary entry dated 31 Oct 1949, Ma Heng 馬衡, Director of the Palace Museum 故宫博物院 at the time, notes that a Survey Group had been established and that, among other things, it was undertaking a detailed study of the Qianlong Garden. It was planned that a restoration of the multiple-courtyard garden area was a priority for the museum. Needless to say, events, including what would become the evanescent political demands of the new regime, overtook these optimistic plans.4 Fast forward to 2025, the Qianlong Garden was finally restored to its splendour just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Palace Museum.
Gate of Spreading Auspiciousness 衍祺門
The garden’s entrance gate is called Gate of Spreading Auspiciousness 衍祺門, which means prosperity in future generations. It is derived from a line in 詩經, the Book of Songs, indicating that the wish for longevity is a main concept of the garden.5,6 After walking through the gate, you will see a wall made of Taihu stones.7
Chinese garden landscaping creates miniature natural landscapes, emphasising harmony between rocks (mountains), water, plants, and architecture (pavilions, bridges) using principles like Yin-Yang balance (dry/wet, light/shadow), asymmetry, and borrowed scenery, aiming for a contemplative journey with framed views, hidden surprises, and symbolic resonance rather than direct symmetry, often featuring winding paths, moon gates, and a blend of rustic charm with deliberate artistry.
Bower of Ancient Catalpa 古華軒
Inside the first courtyard of the garden is its main building is Bower of Ancient Catalpa 古華軒. The name refers to the old cypress tree in front of the building. The attractions of this courtyard include the beautiful carvings and gilded window frames.8,9
Qianlong took a page from the design of private gardens in southern China to make the layout more compact, and divided the site into four connected courtyards, two of which are currently open to the public, from south to north. He varied the courtyard arrangements: some filled with a cluster of buildings, others open and spacious.
The ceiling decoration inside the pavilion is very unique, made with nanmu wood carvings, very elegant. Besides the ceiling, the window frames are also works of art. Take some time to appreciate the detailing of the lacquerwork as well as the gilding with real gold foil.
Pavilion of the Purification Ceremony 禊賞亭
The Pavilion of the Purification Ceremony 禊賞亭 was built in 1772, during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign. It is a relocated and redesigned version of the earlier Floating Cup Pavilion 流杯亭, part of the western garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity in the Kangxi reign. The original pavilion featured a small square plan with a pyramidal roof, while the new structure features a double-eaved roof with three projecting bays, forming a convex layout.10
The pavilion’s design was inspired by the famous gathering at the Orchid Pavilion and the renowned calligraphic work Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Poems《兰亭集序》, of the Later Jin dynasty (317-420). Qianlong, deeply fond of this masterpiece, sought to recreate its refined atmosphere within his garden.
In front of the pavilion lies a winding water channel used for the literati tradition of floating wine cups “曲水流觞”. As the garden lacked a natural water source, the feature required ingenuity: water stored in vats within a man-made rockery was channeled through hidden pipes to create a flowing stream in the pavilion.11
The back of the pavilion uses a black lacquerware screen with a folder lined dragon that seems to be leaping out of the screen. It gives a perspective that there is more space behind the screen.
Hall of Fulfilling Original Wishes 遂初堂
Hall of Fulfilling Original Wishes 遂初堂 is the main building in the second courtyard of the garden. The name is derived from Qianlong’s wish made when he’s 60 years old (35th year reign), he wished to abdicate after 60 years on the throne. He did abdicate at 85 years old (60th year reign) but he did not let go of power until his death at 89.
Pavilion of Brilliant Dawn 旭輝亭 in the background that can be accessed from Pavilion
As the pinnacle of ancient Chinese landscaping art, the garden is not only an architecture masterpiece, but also a history that can be touched and observed at close range. It condenses the artistic ideals of Emperor Qianlong, witnessed the passage of more than 200 years of artisans and craftsmen, and also carries the ingenuity and wisdom of the guardians of contemporary cultural relics. 12
In the courtyard are decorative sculptures made from rockeries and a carved jadeite piece named Three Yangs Ushering in Auspiciousness 三陽開泰.13 Many sculptures from the Qianlong period have been moved into storage to protect them from the elements. This jadeite is an original piece.
Three Friends Bower 三友軒
Building for Enjoying Lush Scenery 萃賞樓
Pavilion of Soaring Beauty 聳秀亭 (left) and the Pavilion of Jade-Green Conch 碧螺亭 (right)
The third courtyard, with Building for Enjoying Lush Scenery 萃賞樓 as its main building, is currently out of bounds, but it is actually the most beautiful built with extensive use of Taihu stones to create a miniature landscape with undulating mountain peaks, deep valleys and caves.14
Building of Extending Delight 延趣樓
Pavilion of Soaring Beauty
Building of Extending Delight viewed from the hallway of Hall of Fulfilling Original Wishes
Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service 倦勤齋
This study has a really interesting name – Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service. Emperor Qianlong was not exactly the most diligent emperor, his father was. During his 13 years reign, Emperor Yongzheng left behind the most written approvals and comments. He also left behind a fortune for Qianlong. While his dad was most diligent in state affairs, Qianlong left behind the most amount of poems and literature of pleasure as evident in the Forbidden City.
Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service 倦勤齋 is the most celebrated structure that was built under his direct supervision. One half of the building comprises a group of private rooms that surround an entry court and the other half contains a two-story theatre.
The interior is distinguished by the fully encompassing but different decorative schemes in these two areas and by the rarity of the materials used, most notably a group of trompe l’oeil murals in tempera on silk in the style of the Qing Dynasty court painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766). Largely unused after 1924, the interiors suffered from the increased building porosity and lack of attention.15
Listening to operas is a big pastime for Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908). This theatre used to be the place where Emperor Qianlong watched the eunuchs performed Chaqu 岔曲, a form of Manchurian operettas.16 Cixi spent a lot of time here, accompanied by eunuchs and palace maids serve, and sometimes, Emperor Guangxu, empresses and concubines accompany her. After each performance, Cixi rewarded the performers generously.17
When China’s last emperor, Puyi, left the Forbidden City in 1924, the garden was officially abandoned, ensuring its appearance was left unchanged but, at the same time, subjecting the site to “a form of benign neglect.”18 Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service was restored to its former glory in 2016 by an international collaboration between the Palace Museum and fundings from World Monuments Fund.19
Belvedere of Viewing Achievements 符望閣
In 2020, three structures in the garden’s fourth courtyard — Belvedere of Viewing Achievements 符望閣, Lodge of Bamboo Fragrance 竹香館 and Bower of Purest Jade 玉翠軒 — were also successfully conserved, just in time for the Forbidden City’s 600th birthday.
Affixed to the wall of the belvedere, a calligraphic inscription echoes the emperor’s purpose in building the complex. In a poem written by Qianlong in 1776, he states that the belvedere is a place to rest from his exhausting service and to nurture himself, away from affairs of the world.
A treasure from the belvedere is the lacquered gauze 漆纱, originally on the window partition in the south room of the Belvedere of Viewing Achievements. Painted with gold and silver, the exquisite fabric has six layers but it is easy for light to get through. “This is the first time it is displayed for the public in the past over 200 years,” said curator Zhang Jie, “Because of its fragile condition, it will be very hard for it to exhibit again in the future.”20
Bower of Purest Jade 玉翠軒
The construction and decoration of the complex, which was designed to be the Qianlong Emperor’s retirement paradise, can be considered a Qing dynasty architectural masterpiece. The furnishings of the three major buildings in the Qianlong Garden, Belvedere of Viewing Achievements 符望閣, Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service 倦勤齋 and Bower of Purest Jade 玉翠軒, are even more lavish and exquisite, representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship at that time.21 Unfortunately, I can only take a picture of the exterior of the bower from the corridor of the belvedere.
Inside the bower, murals known as illusionistic paintings or trompe-l’oeil paintings, or 通景畫 in Chinese, decorate the walls and ceilings. In the Forbidden City and other palaces around Beijing, Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736-1795) surrounded himself with monumental paintings of architecture, gardens, people, and faraway places. The best artists of the imperial painting academy, including a number of European missionary painters, used Western perspectival illusionism to transform walls and ceilings with visually striking images that were also deeply meaningful to Qianlong. These unprecedented works not only offer new insights into late imperial China’s most influential emperor, but also reflect one way in which Chinese art integrated and domesticated foreign ideas. 22
As the layout of the bower suggests, it is a secluded and quiet place hidden away in the Forbidden City. The wisteria panels (a panel was auctioned in Sotheby’s years ago) that used to hang here may have been thought of as window views, complementing the outdoor landscape. Due to its twining vines that seem to be without an end and the abundant flowers, wisteria has also long been considered an auspicious plant, symbolising longevity and prosperity.
Lodge of Bamboo Fragrance 竹香館
A passageway from within the bower connects it with Lodge of Bamboo Fragrance 竹香館 to the north. The lodge can be observed from a distance, accessible from the central axle from the Hall of Happiness and Longevity 樂壽堂 at back of the palace.
Artistry and Ingenuity: The History and Conservation of the Qianlong Garden
遂初堂
At present only the first two courtyards are opened for visitors. Qianlong Garden’s new exhibition, Artistry and Ingenuity: The History and Conservation of the Qianlong Garden,”23 which opened in Sep 2025, showcases the results of restoration work, as well as the historical and cultural aspects of the garden.24
Restoring the Qianlong Garden took more than two decades, a costly and painstaking process based on a 2000 cooperation agreement signed by the World Monuments Fund and the museum, which estimated a price tag of $15-18 million.
The exhibition is divided into two sections – The Joy of Leisurely Retirement “倦勤隐趣” and The Old Garden Reborn “故苑新生”. 25 The Joy of Leisurely Retirement explores the garden’s conception, design, and construction by Emperor Qianlong, showcasing its historical blueprint through animation and historical artefacts, while The Old Garden Reborn reveals the meticulous, decades-long restoration process, highlighting the advanced techniques, artisans, and stunning results of bringing the historical garden back to life.
It’s important for China to apply what it has learned from the experiences of restoring the Palace Museum buildings to professionally and scientifically conserving Qing Dynasty architecture across the country. 26
Following the Qianlong Garden, Hall of Mental Cultivation 養心殿, the residence and administrative office for Qing emperors, is also reopened this year (2025) after completing restoration work that started in 2018. I missed that reopening by a week, and will make it a point to revisit the next trip to Beijing
About Garden of Palace of Tranquil Longevity 宁寿宫花园
宁寿宫花园位于宁寿宫后区西路。乾隆三十七年（1772年）至四十一年（1776年）改建宁寿宫时，在后区西部南北长160m，东西宽约40m的窄长地段内建成一座花园，以备乾隆皇帝归政后游赏，故又称乾隆花园。27
宁寿宫花园南北分隔成四进院落，每一院的布局各具特色。
第一进院主体建筑为古华轩，轩前一株古楸树，轩因此得名。轩东山峦上有承露台，轩西为凿有流杯渠的禊赏亭，亭北山上有旭辉庭。轩南有假山，其间有曲径。轩东南角有曲廊、矩亭、抑斋围成的小院，院内东南堆砌假山，山上小亭名“撷芳亭”。
古华轩后垂花门内即第二进院。正房遂初堂，东西有配房，转角廊、倒座廊将正房、配房、垂花门联为一体，是个典型的三合院。院中湖石点景，花木三五。
遂初堂后第三院以山景为主。院中峰峦起伏，山间有深谷，山下有隧洞通向四方。上山有蹬道，山上有天桥，耸秀亭屹立山顶。院北有萃赏楼，西有延趣楼，东南麓有座北面南的三友轩，三面出廊，东面紧靠乐寿堂西廊。
萃赏楼北是花园最后一院。主体建筑符望阁，阁南山屏之上建有碧螺亭，其造型设计及装修均采用5瓣梅花形或折枝梅花纹。亭南有小虹桥通萃赏楼。山屏西南养和精舍平面为曲尺形。阁西有玉粹轩，阁北有倦勤斋，玉粹轩北依西墙有小楼竹香馆，外围一道南北向弓形矮墙。倦勤斋南、玉粹轩北接有爬山廊，可达竹香馆二层。
宁寿宫花园布局十分得体，山石树木、亭台楼阁经营有绪。屋顶类型力求变化，色彩丰富，有黄、绿、蓝、紫、翠蓝等色，梁枋彩绘大量使用了金线苏式彩画。中轴线布置有变化，后半部轴线略东移。整座花园既有私家园林玲珑秀巧的风貌，又与皇宫华贵富丽的氛围相协调。
About the Forbidden City
The palace gained its name from its enormous scale and severely restricted access to all but the Emperor, the Imperial family, and Eunuchs; hence the Chinese term “Forbidden City” 紫禁城 emerged.
The Forbidden City is a former imperial palace complex in Beijing, China, which served as the home of emperors and the political centre of China for almost 500 years, from the Ming to the Qing dynasties. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and is known as the Palace Museum 故宮博物院, housing a vast collection of art and historical artefacts. The name “Forbidden” came from its restricted access, as only the emperor, his family, and select officials could enter.
The largest and best-preserved ancient timber-built palace complex in the world, its architecture features yellow glazed roof tiles, symbolising royalty, and red walls representing happiness and prosperity. It was the imperial palace for 24 emperors and the centre of political and ceremonial power for over five centuries.
The Forbidden City Series
National Palace Museum Series
There’s another Palace Museum in Taipei that was established by the retreating government of the Republic of China (ROC). When the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) was on-going, much of the relics and artefacts of the Palace Museum were boxed and moved to the South to avoid damage by the fighting and to prevent takeover by advancing Imperial Japanese army. And in 1949, the retreating ROC government moved part of it to Taipei. These relics and artefacts are now part of the collection of the National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院.
Footnotes :
- 其名字源於「紫微星垣」（天帝居所），「禁」指禁地，意即皇權至高無上、普通人不得擅入的「紫宮」。https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-sg/故宫, accessed 8 Dec 2025 ↩︎
- 宁寿宫花园 (Ningshou gong huayuan)
Garden of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity
宁寿宫花园位于宁寿宫后区西路，建成于清乾隆四十一年（1776），是乾隆皇帝內自己颐养天年所建，故又称“乾隆花园”。乾隆皇帝享年八十九岁，为中国历史上最长寿的帝王。
他酷爱诗文书画，热衷鉴赏收藏，堪称一位“文人天子”。这座园林，正是其审美理想与晚年生活愿景的具体体现。
花园所处地势狭长，南北约160米，东西约40米，巧妙划分为四进院落，亭台楼阁、山石树木错落有致，既承继皇家园林的华丽庄重，又融入江南园林的玲珑秀雅。乾隆花园不仅是清代皇家造园艺术的高峰，更凝聚了皇帝本人的审美理想与艺术追求。Museum information, Nov 2025 ↩︎ - 嘉庆四年正月初三（1799年2月7日），乾隆驾崩于养心殿。从雍正十三年（1735年）25岁时登基移居养心殿，直到89岁去世，他在这里一共生活了64年，而原为“太上皇临御之所”的宁寿宫，他却一天也没有住过。宁寿宫往事：探秘不为人知的“乾隆花园”, 2018-11-22 14:57:37, 北京晚报https://www.workercn.cn/32875/201811/22/181122145706521.shtml ↩︎
- See Gugong Bowu Yuan, ed., The Manuscript of Ma Heng’s Diary (Ma Heng riji shougao 馬衡日記手稿), Beijing: Zijincheng Chubanshe, 2005, 2 vols, vol.1, p.188, see also the entry for 21 March 1950, vol.1, p.255. The recent Director of the Palace Museum, Zheng Xinmiao 鄭欣淼, also mentions this in a commemorative essay about Ma Heng. See Zheng, ‘Outstanding achievement and lustrous virtue—commemorating Mr Ma Heng fifty years after his death’ (Jue gong shen wei qi de yong xin—jinian Ma Heng xiansheng shishi 50 zhounian 厥功甚偉其德永馨—紀念馬衡先生逝世50週年), in Gugong Bowu Yuan yuankan, 2005:2. ↩︎
- https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/30/WS68db1857a310f735438b30ac.html ↩︎
- https://www.dpm.org.cn/Uploads/File/2020/05/06/u5eb258f454988.pdf ↩︎
- 衍祺门入口处设有太湖石山作为屏障，呼应文震亨《长物志》中”凡入门处，必小委曲，忌太直”的园林营造理念 ↩︎
- 走进宁寿宫花园第一进院，主体建筑是“古华轩”，因院中一棵古楸树得名。东边有“承露台”，西边是“禊赏亭”，内有弯曲的水渠。院中假山与小径交错，东南角还藏着一个由曲廊和小亭围起来的幽静角落。 ↩︎
- 原文网址: 故宫最神秘的“乾隆花园” 百年来首现真容 | 香港01 https://global.hk01.com/article/60286301?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral ↩︎
- 禊赏亭建成于清乾隆三十七年（1772），为康熙年间宁寿宫西花园流杯亭易地重建，位置稍向东移。原流杯亭为四角攒尖小方亭，改建后成重檐三出抱厦之形式，平面呈凸形。Museum information, Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 禊赏亭的设计灵感，来自中国文化史上著名的“兰亭修禊”和由此诞生的书法名作《兰亭集序》。乾隆皇帝喜爱《兰亭集序》，也向往兰亭雅集的风流趣味，有意在园中一隅再现“崇山峻岭，茂林修竹”的景象，致敬当年兰亭之畔的文化盛事。亭前抱厦内设有流杯渠，曲折回环，取意“曲水流觞”的文人雅趣。乾隆花园里并没有天然水系，因此，流杯渠内的活水是借助巧妙的装置引来的：在假山南面建有储水房，内有水缸贮水，通过一条埋在假山内部的暗管，将水注入流杯渠内。Museum information, Nov 2025 ↩︎
- 作为中国古代造园艺术的巅峰之作，宁寿宫花园不仅是一座建筑，更是一段可以走入的历史。它凝聚了乾隆皇帝的美学理想，见证了二百余年的岁月流转，也承载着当代文物守护者的匠心与智慧。 ↩︎
- “三阳开泰” (sān yáng kāi tài) 是一个源自《易经》的吉祥成语，寓意着冬去春来、阴消阳长、万物复苏、新春吉祥，常用于新年祝福，图案常以三只羊（谐音“阳”）表示，象征生机勃勃、吉祥如意。 ↩︎
- 穿过遂初堂，便进入了以山景为核心的第三院，这里仿佛一片微缩山水，峰峦起伏，谷深洞幽，山间还架有天桥与“耸秀亭”。院落北有“萃赏楼”，西有“延趣楼”，东南山脚下坐落了“三友轩”。Museum information, Nov 2025 ↩︎
- The Conservation Of Juanqinzhai: A Prototype For Architectural Interiors In The Forbidden City, T. Mcclintock, Published 1 May 2014, History, Art, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation ↩︎
- https://www.dpm.org.cn/Uploads/pdf/1508/T00044_00.pdf ↩︎
- 听戏是慈禧的一大爱好，有时一听就是三天。宁寿宫倦勤斋内有座小戏台，曾是乾隆皇帝观赏习艺太监演唱岔曲的地方，由此便成了老佛爷听戏之所。每次演戏，慈禧都端坐台下正中间的位置，除了让太监、宫女在身边伺候外，有时也让光绪皇帝和皇后及嫔妃们相伴左右。而每次演完戏之后，慈禧都对戏子们进行一番奖赏，且出手大方，既有银两，也有饰品、摆件。宁寿宫往事：探秘不为人知的“乾隆花园”, 2018-11-22 14:57:37, 北京晚报https://www.workercn.cn/32875/201811/22/181122145706521.shtml ↩︎
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/architect-annabelle-selldorf-will-design-new-interpretation-center-chinas-forbidden-city-180971380/ ↩︎
- Hidden behind the halls of royalty, By Wang Qian | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2025-09-30 07:37, https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202509/30/WS68db1857a310f735438b30ac.html ↩︎
- Forbidden City inaugurates exhibition to celebrate its 600th birthday
Updated 13:04, 11-Sep-2020, By Wu Yan. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-09-10/Forbidden-City-inaugurates-exhibition-to-celebrate-its-600th-birthday-TG6Jr72J5m/index.html ↩︎ - https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2023/heaven-and-earth-the-collection-of-an-aesthete-part-1/a-rare-and-impressive-imperial-jade-and-hardstone ↩︎
- https://arthistorypi.org/books/imperial-illusions ↩︎
- “天工匠心——宁寿宫花园的历史与守护”主题展览设立在遂初堂和东西配殿。 ↩︎
- 目前，故宫只对外开放宁寿宫花园第一、二进院落，并在遂初堂和东西配殿展出“天工匠心——宁寿宫花园的历史与守护”主题展览，不仅展现了修复工作的卓越成果，更展示了花园的历史与文化价值。故宫最神秘的“乾隆花园” 百年来首现真容 | 香港01 https://global.hk01.com/article/60286301?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral ↩︎
- 展览共分为“倦勤隐趣”和“故苑新生”两个单元，前者通过动画长卷与珍贵档案，向重现宁寿宫花园从构思到落成的历程；后者则通过实物展品和纪录片，展示园内精湛的工艺、修复技术及不为人知的故事。 ↩︎
- https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/05/travel/qianlong-garden-forbidden-city-beijing-intl-hnk ↩︎
- Yang Wengai 杨文概, writing for the official Palace Museum website, https://www.dpm.org.cn/explore/building/236440.html, accessed 8 Dec 2025 ↩︎
0 comments on “Forbidden City – Qianlong Garden 乾隆花園”