Emperor Qianlong Lake Scenic Area

Emperor Qianlong Lake Scenic Area

【Emperor Qianlong Lake Scenic Area】 is located at the southern end of Suixi County, covering an area of approximately 5 square kilometers. It integrates agricultural sightseeing, leisure entertainment, and commercial shopping. Planned by Anhui Institute of Architecture and constructed in October 1998 by the People’s Government of Suixi Town, the scenic area boasts beautiful landscapes and fascinating stories of imperial history. Major attractions are as follows: First, the Imperial Kitchen. Upon entering the Shuo Zheng Gate, on the left stands the Imperial Kitchen, built in the style of Ming and Qing architecture. The four-story structure rises 19.98 meters high—symbolizing the year 1998 when it was built—and features a classic and elegant design. Above the main gate, the five characters “乾隆御膳房” (Imperial Kitchen of Emperor Qianlong) are handwritten by Aisin-Gioro Yuyan. The dining area spans two floors with luxurious interiors. It combines food, entertainment, and accommodation, catering to different consumption levels from high to low. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong visited Jiangsu and Zhejiang and passed through here, he lost his appetite. Then, a local woman named Xu served him a plate of tofu. Upon tasting it, the emperor found the tofu exquisitely soft, spicy, and delicious beyond words, so he renamed her small shop the “Qianlong Tofu Shop.” Today, Mapo Tofu has become a signature dish of the Imperial Kitchen. Here, the sounds of music and song fill the air, with opera tea houses and bustling food services. Two ornamental columns stand in front of the kitchen, each 9.8 meters tall with a circumference of 1.6 meters, featuring coiled dragons, cloud plates on top, and carved beasts crouching at the apex—creating a solemn and majestic atmosphere. On the right is a 50-meter-long painted corridor, adorned with designs from Dream of the Red Chamber and The Story of Emperor Qianlong. The brushwork is smooth, the scenes lively, the character paintings telling touching stories, and the landscape art depicting charming scenery. Inside the corridor, various root carvings are displayed—each piece naturally shaped and lifelike, demonstrating the artist's rich imagination and exquisite craftsmanship. Second, the Imperial Ink Stone Stele. A short walk from the Shuo Zheng Gate leads to the central area of the leisure zone where the Imperial Ink Stone Stele stands. It is 8.8 meters high, 3.6 meters wide, 0.26 meters thick, and weighs about 30 tons. The front bears four gilded characters “惠我南黎” (Blessing Our Southern People), handwritten by Emperor Qianlong during his southern inspection. The back is inscribed with the “Record of Emperor Qianlong Lake Tourist Scenic Area,” detailing the origin and features of the park. Third, the Secluded Folk Island. Islands within lakes are a common feature shared by both Emperor Qianlong Lake and West Lake, but the unique charm of this island lies in its distinctive and quaint architecture. Covering an area of 10,000 square meters, the island includes the Le Tai City—a three-story building decorated with glazed tiles in European style, formed by combining several “eight”-shaped structures. It offers Western-style dining to recreate a European lifestyle, along with celebrity paintings and root carvings that reflect Chinese cultural heritage. Seven Mongolian yurts are also built on the island—round-domed with grass-thatched roofs, showcasing the architectural style of Zhejiang and Yunnan. The island is planted with rare and exotic plants from China and abroad. Northern flowers vie in reds and greens, while southern palm trees show off their graceful postures. Coupled with ethnic-themed services, it forms a miniature world. Walking into the Secluded Folk Island, the water, culture, folk charm, and island vibes will enchant you as if you’ve entered a paradise. Fourth, the Fun Garden. Fifty meters east of the Shuo Zheng Gate lies the north entrance to Fun Garden. An ancient pine tree rooted on the west side of the gate has a thick trunk about 5 meters tall and wide enough for two or three people to hug. Its sprawling branches extend eastward to form a natural lintel. The bright red characters “Fun Garden” on the eastern pillar highlight the name. “It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people”—this is precisely the message the garden gate designer intended to convey. The white walls around Fun Garden are painted with colorful illustrations accompanied by classical poems, blending poetic imagery with delightful scenes. The garden offers a variety of recreational activities: seesaws, slides, trampolines, flying chairs, dinosaur bumper cars, and two-seater mini cars, each with its own charm. At the southern lake area, you can take a boat, paddle the oars, play in the water, and admire the lotus flowers—it’s extremely relaxing. In the northeastern corner of the park is a performance square, covering 500 square meters, with a raised stage and neatly arranged stone benches. During holidays, it becomes a lively hub for traditional opera performances. Fifth, Longxing Temple. Located east of Fun Garden, the temple is steeped in legend. In the fourth year of the Yongzheng reign (1726), a locust plague from Shandong spread southward to this area, darkening the skies with swarms that devoured all crops. The emperor dispatched General Liu Meng to combat the pests. In a dream, Liu received divine guidance: boil honey, smear it on trees, and the locusts would get stuck while feeding. Troops were then sent to eliminate them en masse. To commemorate Liu Meng’s deeds, locals raised funds in the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936) to build a temple called “Bala Temple,” commonly known as “Grasshopper Temple.” It was later renamed Longxing Temple and consists of a mountain gate, main hall, and side halls. The mountain gate faces east, spanning three bays (10.6 meters wide), with a gilded plaque reading “Longxing Temple” hanging above. The main hall stands on a raised platform, featuring five bays, 20.8 meters in height, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and soaring upturned eaves. The central three bays have a protruding terrace surrounded by white marble railings adorned with lotus pedestal patterns. At the center of the terrace sits a bronze incense burner, with smoke rising continuously, adding serenity to the temple. Inside the hall, a grand white Sumeru pedestal holds a golden statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, serene and benevolent, flanked by disciples Mahakasyapa and Ananda. Eighteen Arhats are also enshrined along the sides, all exquisitely sculpted. The side halls complement the main hall in architecture and theme. The east hall is dedicated to General Liu Meng, depicted heroically and vividly, with inscriptions praising his legacy. The west hall honors Guan Yu, the God of War, inspiring loyalty and righteousness. Two Yuan Dynasty stone statues—one civil and one military, each about 3 meters tall and 2.5 tons heavy—depict refined and valiant figures respectively. Carved with fine detail, they were discovered in 1998 by a farmer plowing fields in Zhaowei Village, Suixi Town, unearthed with help from the community, and later relocated to Emperor Qianlong Lake Scenic Area as protected relics. Experts confirm these statues are Yuan Dynasty artifacts, originally guarding the ancestral shrine of the Wei family in Wei Village, Zhaozhuang. Sixth, the Stele Corridor. Located west of Longxing Temple, it stretches about 100 meters and displays over 70 stone tablets featuring poetry, calligraphy, and paintings by renowned artists throughout history. At the center of the corridor stands a tablet engraved with Mao Zedong’s handwriting “数风流人物，还看今朝” (To find heroes, look to our present age), reflecting the theme of the entire exhibit. On both sides are inscriptions by central leaders such as Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai, as well as tablets bearing works by historical masters like Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, and Zhang Xu. The imperial calligraphy “惠我南黎” by Emperor Qianlong is also preserved here. Strolling through this corridor of artistic masterpieces, you will be immersed in the profound richness of Chinese culture.