Site of the Imperial Wharf

Site of the Imperial Wharf

The Site of the Imperial Wharf is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Located southwest of Luoma Lake in Zaohe Town, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. In the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1684), the Dragon King Temple was built by imperial decree, along with a “roadway.” In the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign (1757), Emperor Qianlong made his sixth southern tour. His imperial boat docked at the stone wharf on the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Zaohe Town, and he traveled via the “roadway” to the Dragon King Temple to offer sacrifices and stayed at the Dragon King Temple Temporary Palace. The Imperial Wharf covers an area of about 80 square meters, built with block stones, and is about 3 meters above the water surface. To this day, its foundation stones can still be faintly seen.

The Site of the Imperial Wharf is located southwest of Luoma Lake in Zaohe Town, Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. In the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1684), the Dragon King Temple was built by imperial decree, along with a “roadway.” In the 22nd year of the Qianlong reign (1757), Emperor Qianlong made his sixth southern tour. His imperial boat docked at the stone wharf on the banks of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Zaohe Town, and he traveled via the “roadway” to the Dragon King Temple to offer sacrifices and stayed at the Dragon King Temple Temporary Palace. The Imperial Wharf covers an area of about 80 square meters, built with block stones, and is about 3 meters above the water surface. To this day, its foundation stones can still be faintly seen. The Long River Landscape Project will comprehensively restore heritage sites such as the Qihongtang Imperial Wharf, Tongbang Tiespring, Niangniang Temple, and Gaoliang Bridge, ensuring scenic beauty and historical anecdotes at every turn. According to a report by the Beijing Evening News, the Zhuanhé section of the North Ring Water System is part of the Long River. The ongoing restoration of Zhuanhé will integrate themes of the “Long River’s Lost Dreams” through features like waterscapes, sculptures, ecological landscapes, waterfront promenades, and bridges, embedding the historical essence of the Long River into the landscape design and reviving its centuries-old legacy. Historically known as the Imperial River, the Long River served as a vital waterway for royalty and high-ranking officials traveling to the Summer Palace. Along its banks lie numerous cultural relics and legends. The “Qihongtang” Imperial Wharf was the starting point from which Empress Dowager Cixi boarded boats to the Summer Palace, and it also served as a place where she and Emperor Guangxu handled official affairs, dined, and received ministers. The blue-and-gold plaque reading “Qihongtang” still hangs visibly on the south gate. The “Tongbang Tiespring” is a stone well site; legend has it that when people lowered their buckets, the sound of the bucket hitting the well walls resembled clanging copper or striking iron. The Zhuanhé Restoration Project will not only revive the “Qihongtang” Imperial Wharf and the “Tongbang Tiespring,” but also restore historic sites such as Gaoliang Bridge, Niangniang Temple, and the Old Xizhimen Railway Station.

Historical Records

In the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1684), to manage flood disasters caused by the Yellow River and canal waterways in the Zaohe area, Emperor Kangxi “allocated funds and rebuilt the divine temple,” constructing the “Anlan Dragon King Temple” (now the Dragon King Temple Temporary Palace). On the east side of the temple complex, a pathway was built for local residents to enter the temple to worship the water deity, commonly known as the “roadway.” In 1757, Emperor Qianlong made his sixth southern tour. His imperial boat docked at the stone wharf on the southern bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Zaohe Town, and five times he traveled via the “roadway” to the Dragon King Temple to worship the water deity and stayed in the Temple of Yu Hall within the temple. From then on, this “roadway” came to be called the “Imperial Roadway,” and the “stone wharf” where the imperial boat docked was called the “Imperial Wharf.” For nearly three hundred years, the Imperial Roadway has retained its relatively complete form, with some of its foundation stones still faintly visible on the surface. Residential house numbers along the road are named and ordered after the Imperial Roadway. In 1985, the Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Office included entries about it in their cultural relics records. The Imperial Roadway and Imperial Wharf are important components of the cultural heritage of the Dragon King Temple Temporary Palace. In 1991, they were designated as cultural relics protection units by the former Suqian City. In 2006, the State Council of the People's Republic of China listed the Imperial Wharf as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, incorporating it into the joint protection of the Dragon King Temple Temporary Palace.

History

In the 18th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1753), during his southern inspection tour, Emperor Qianlong built a temporary palace in the West Garden of Tianning Temple. A wharf was constructed in front of the palace—it was the place where Emperor Qianlong boarded boats to tour Slender West Lake, hence the name “Imperial Wharf.” The Imperial Wharf is situated at the entrance of Xiyuan Hotel, west of Tianning Temple, by the North City River. It features block-stone revetments, with a platform built along the shore. Above the platform lies a gentle ramp paved with flagstones, consisting of 39 steps and about 6 meters wide. A small pavilion stands by the river, inside which a stone stele inscribed “Imperial Wharf” is erected.

Zaohe Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Sucheng County. During the Republican era, it was called Zaohe Town. In 1957, Zaohe Township was established, which was changed to a commune in 1958 and re-established as a town in 1985. It is located in the northwest of the city, 22 kilometers from the county seat and 10 kilometers from National Highway 205. Covering an area of 22 square kilometers with a population of 26,000, it is traversed by the Suhuang Highway. The town administers nine village committees—Jiedong, Jexi, Zhangzhuang, Wangying, Bajing, Qibao, Xiezhuang, Longgang, and Songchang—and one neighborhood committee, Jiebei. The main agricultural and sideline products include wheat, rice, fish, shrimp, lotus roots, and whitebait. Major industrial products consist of 25 varieties, including plywood, Zaohe series liquors, and barges. To the south of the town there is... More detailed information on Zaohe Town++