Xuzhou Qianlong Temporary Palace

Xuzhou Qianlong Temporary Palace

The Xuzhou Qianlong Temporary Palace is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Xuzhou Qianlong Temporary Palace Ruins Scenic Area

Located at Dayingding on the northern foothills of Ma'ling Mountain, the site was visited three times by Emperor Qianlong during his six southern tours (in 1752, 1756, and 1757). The palace was constructed for the emperor’s stays, featuring five courtyards and thirty-seven halls, including an inner garden called Yiyuan. The palace was destroyed in the late Qing Dynasty; today, only a stone tablet inscribed with Liu Yong’s calligraphy “Reading While Boiling Spring Tea” remains in Yiyuan. This artifact was discovered by two scholars, Nanpu and Haitian, and is now housed in the city museum. The foundations of the halls can still be faintly made out. Although this site is an enclave within the Ma'ling Mountain Scenic Area, it is close to Provincial Highway 230, making it easily accessible and suitable for opening to the public as a historical ruin. Historical records describe it as: “The southern imperial lodges were generally simple and not comparable to palaces. This one was even more modest—internally sparse, with outer rows of canvas tents serving as quarters, maintaining the style of a military camp.” Today, people commonly refer to the palace ruins as Dayingding.

On December 19, 2011, the People's Government of Jiangsu Province designated it as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units