Haiyantang of the Old Summer Palace

Haiyantang of the Old Summer Palace

Haiyantang is the most iconic structure of the Old Summer Palace after Yuanmingyuan’s Yuan Yingguan, featuring a European-style garden landscape.

The main building of Haiyantang faces west, with eleven rooms on both the upper and lower floors. On either side of the entrance are cascading fountains, and below the steps lies a large fountain pool. Flanking the pool in a “V” shape are twelve bronze statues of Chinese zodiac figures with human bodies and animal heads (the Old Summer Palace Zodiac Heads). Each of the twelve two-hour periods of the day was represented by one zodiac figure taking turns to spout water, and at noon, all twelve statues would simultaneously spurt water from their mouths. These statues were designed by Westerners but manufactured in China, blending Eastern and Western cultures, and are commonly known as the "Hydraulic Clock."

Location

No. 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China