Qing Dynasty Imperial Traveling Palace

Qing Dynasty Imperial Traveling Palace

Qing Dynasty Imperial Traveling Palace is a cultural relic protection unit of Tianjin Municipality.

Qing Dynasty Imperial Traveling Palace

Era: Qing Dynasty

Address: Jixian County, Tianjin City

Category: Other

I. Jingji Mountain Villa

Also known as Panshan Traveling Palace, it is located on the southern foothills of Panshan Mountain. The terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south, surrounded by boundary walls built from tiger-skin stones, following the contours of the mountain with undulating curves. Inside the walls are pavilions, towers, flowers, trees, water plants, all set against the distant temples of Panshan Mountain, presenting a spectacular view. The internal terrain of the villa is complex, essentially featuring one stream on the east and one on the west, with a slope in between. The waters of the two streams converge at the southern end of the villa, where the terrain is relatively flat. The northern part has crisscrossing ravines, and in the far northwest there is a small hill locally called Shifo Mountain. Though not very high, it has a majestic presence reminiscent of Shandong’s Yishan. The villa is dotted with pavilions, terraces, towers, and halls, some hidden and some exposed, all exquisitely designed. Based on the characteristics of the villa and the distribution of its buildings, it is divided into two parts: the Traveling Palace and the Garden Scenery.

(I) Traveling Palace Section:

This includes four architectural complexes: Jingji Mountain Villa, Taigu Yunlan, Shouxuan Hall, and Cengyan Feicui, each enclosed within its own palace wall. Locally, they are referred to as the Front Palace (Jingji Mountain Villa), Middle Palace (Taigu Yunlan, Shouxuan Hall), and Rear Palace (Cengyan Feicui).

1. Jingji Mountain Villa: This is both the general name of the Traveling Palace and one of the eight inner scenic spots of the villa. It is located at the southern end of the villa. The main building, inscribed with the words “Zhiren Lechu” (Joy in Benevolence), stands on the same central axis as the main gate of the villa—the Grand Palace Gate—and served as the place where Emperor Qianlong conducted state affairs while residing here. The main building faces west with seven bays, featuring a rolled-canopy Xieshan-style roof, and is surrounded by corridors connecting to auxiliary structures. The entire courtyard follows a traditional siheyuan (quadrangle) layout. To the east is the “Songyan Han cui” Studio, used for banquets and meetings with ministers. Further east lies the “Jinglan Pavilion,” situated beside the stream, with a bridge over the stream leading northward to the mountain path. Jingji Mountain Villa is locally known as the Front Palace, and its entire area, including the Grand Palace Gate, Songyan Han cui, and Jinglan Pavilion, falls within the grounds of the Municipal Public Utilities Bureau Sanatorium (Qiyuan).

To the east of the stream is another small palace gate, a side entrance used by garden officials and servants, now occupied by the Municipal Finance and Taxation Sanatorium.

2. Taigu Yunlan: Located on a small elevated area northeast of Jingji Mountain Villa. According to the “Imperially Commissioned Panshan Annals,” it states: “Ascending from the mountaintop, the land opens up with a distant view, featuring a grand hall and overlapping pavilions.” It was bestowed the imperial inscription “Taigu Yunlan,” meaning “Ancient Cloud Mist,” symbolizing tranquility reminiscent of ancient times. From this spot, “the view is like a vast sea of glass, illuminating everything.” The main building is two-story, five bays wide, with a rolled-canopy Xieshan-style roof. To the west of the pavilion are the Introducing Victory Pavilion, the Expansive View Studio, and the Connecting Summit Tower. To the north is the Yun Song Pavilion, the largest architectural complex in the villa, consisting of several siheyuan units interconnected by corridors. Locally, it is known as the Middle Palace. It is currently inhabited by farmers, but remnants of the palace walls and foundations can still be faintly seen.

3. Shouxuan Hall: Located east of Taigu Yunlan, at a slightly lower elevation, this was where the Empress Dowager rested. Although it is an independent courtyard, it is connected to the Yun Song Pavilion by a covered walkway for the emperor to visit her morning and evening. There is a front hall and a rear sleeping quarters. The front hall follows a siheyuan layout, all with rolled-canopy style architecture, while the sleeping quarters feature a “connected roof” structure. Currently, only column bases and foundation remains exist, with farmers residing there.

4. Cengyan Feicui: Located east of Taigu Yunlan and at the southeastern foot of Shifo Mountain, the main building is the Danhuai Hall, fronted by a memorial archway, a hallway, and east and west wing rooms, arranged in a siheyuan layout. There are also east and west side courtyards. The west side courtyard contains the Xie Cui Tower and the Yunqi Pavilion, while the east side courtyard is smaller, with a stone path outside its northern wall leading to the Lüru Pavilion and the Shilin Retreat—this is the Rear Palace.

(II) Garden Scenery Section:

Apart from the central Traveling Palace section, the Garden Scenery is divided into three areas: East Stream, West Stream, and Mountainous Region.

1. East Stream Area: A large area in the eastern part of the villa with extremely complex terrain, crossed by a major stream. Major scenic spots include Simian Yunshan (Clouds and Mountains on All Sides), Jiwang Chengxian (Distant Views Clarified and Fresh), Linshen Shirun (Deep Forest and Moist Rocks), Little Putuo, Qingxu Yuyu (Pure Void Jade Universe), Chishang Ju (Residence Above the Pool), and Nongle Xuan (Farm Joy Studio). Simian Yunshan: Located at the northeast corner of the villa, adjacent to Qianxiang Temple, it is not recorded in the “Imperially Commissioned Panshan Annals” but appears in the “Panshan Map” drawn during the Tongzhi era, suggesting it was added after the 19th year of Qianlong’s reign. Currently, only a tall platform base and stacked stones remain.

Jiwang Chengxian: At a high and open spot northeast of the Traveling Palace, there once stood a pavilion called “Jiwang Chengxian.” Its foundation is no longer visible.

Little Putuo: Near the western gully along the northern wall of the villa, where water flows into a pool, originally surrounded by many bamboo plants. Northeast of the pool stands a square pavilion with a double-eave spire and wooden paneling, dedicated to Guanyin. The pool was regarded as the fallen sea of Mount Potalaka, hence the name Little Putuo. Most relics are gone, with only an imperial poem by Emperor Jiaqing engraved on a large rock remaining.

Jiwang Chengxian: Located east of Little Putuo, locally called “Huodao.” The existing granite rockery is well-preserved. The building is believed to be the ruins of the Reading Painting Tower, and the pebble-paved path remains in fair condition. In front of the rockery is a large stone, with one side inscribed “Linshen Shirun,” and the other three sides engraved with poems by Emperor Qianlong.

Qingxu Yuyu: Southwest of Little Putuo and northeast of Cengyan Feicui, located on a high ridge, it is a Taoist structure, locally called “Jade Emperor Pavilion.” The main building is a round, lofty pavilion surrounded by corridors. To the south is a hall, with wing rooms on the east and west. The layout is square outside and round inside, situated on high ground overlooking Cengyan Feicui. It is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Qianlong. Only the foundation remains today.

Chishang Ju: On the west bank of the East Stream, northeast of Taigu Yunlan. Between Taigu Yunlan and Chishang Ju, there are two cliffs facing each other, connected by a brick-and-stone gatehouse known as “Piyun Zhan” or “Kuan Yanfei.” Entering through the gate leads to Chishang Ju. Centered around a pool, there are northern rooms and western wing rooms, with three pools arranged in a stepped formation from north to south. The northernmost pool is round, while the other two are crescent-shaped. Originally, there were many stacked rocks around the pools, most of which were removed in 1975 during the construction of the Panshan Reservoir. To the east of the pool is the Hanbi Pavilion, and behind the northern room is the Qinxia Pavilion, with only their foundations remaining. The pool has been filled in with silt.

Nongle Xuan: South of Shouxuan Hall and on the west bank of the East Stream, there is a flat area with sweet springs and fertile soil. Houses were built on the northern side, called Nongle Xuan. A pavilion was built to the south, called Nanxuan, used by the emperor to promote farming. Only column bases and foundations remain today.

2. West Stream Area: Known locally as Nanjian, this is the most powerful stream in Panshan. From north to south, it features scenic spots such as Zhen Guan Yizong (Traces of the Zhenguan Era), Zhongyin Songchui (Sounds of Pine Waves), Xiaoshi Cheng (Little Stone City), Wanluan Caotang (Graceful Grass Hall), and Simian Furong (Lotus on All Sides).

Zhen Guan Yizong, Qianchi Xue (Thousand-Foot Snow): Located northwest of the Traveling Palace, at the bottom of the stream. Legend says that Emperor Taizong of Tang once hung his armor on a huge rock while passing through on his eastern campaign, hence the rock is called Liangjia Shi (Armor-Drying Rock). Emperor Qianlong also inscribed the four characters “Zhen Guan Yizong” on the eastern cliff. This area is a canyon where waters from various peaks converge, clashing with rocks and splashing like pearls and jade. Qianlong compared it to Hanshan’s Thousand-Foot Snow, and inscribed the three characters “Qianchi Xue” on the cliff. Around these characters are multiple Qianlong poems. On the western bank is a three-room house, with a long corridor leading to a waterside pavilion used for viewing Qianchi Xue. Aside from cliff inscriptions, the foundations no longer exist.

Xiaoshi Cheng: Located on a high ridge west of the stream, within the current Martyrs’ Cemetery and Veterans’ Sanatorium grounds. There is a vast expanse of massive rocks piled on top of each other, covering nearly 10,000 square meters—a remarkable sight locally called “Stone Sea.” A rock near the edge of the big stream bears an inscription of Qianlong’s poem about Xiaoshi Cheng. In front of the rock is a pavilion, with only its foundation remaining.

Zhongyin Songchui, Wanluan Caotang: A group of structures on the eastern side of the major stream. The main building is Wanluan Caotang, modeled after Dong Qichang’s painting of the same name. Here, the sounds of water and pine trees harmonize beautifully. Nearby in the dense woods are scenic spots such as Cuishi Pavilion, Qinxiao Pavilion, and Songtuan Liuyun. South of Zhongyin Songchui, at the northwest corner outside the wall of Taigu Yunlan, there are three circular pools (locally called Eyeglass Lakes), along with extensive foundations and stacked rocks.

Four-sided Hibiscus: Located on a small hill northwest of Tai Gu Yun Lan and north of Jing Ji Shan Zhuang, this pavilion was modeled after Li Bai’s Kuang Lu and is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of the mountain villa. This site was heavily damaged by mountain quarrying and sand mining in recent years, and its foundation no longer exists.

3. Mountainous Area

As well as the various scenic spots at the northernmost part of the villa, namely Shí Fó Shān, which include Shí Fó Diàn (Stone Buddha Hall), Duǒ Shān Tíng (Pavilion among Peaks), Yǎn Cuì Tíng (Emerald Haze Pavilion), Bàn Tiān Lóu (Half-day Tower), Qióng Yún Tíng (Gathering Clouds Pavilion), Mó Qīng Tíng (Ink-blue Pavilion), Jìng Yuán Cháng Zhào (Mirror Circle Ever Shining), Líng Rán Gé (Ethereal Pavilion), Yǔ Huā Shì (Rainflower Room), and Yún Lín Shí Shì (Cloud Forest Stone Chamber).

Shí Fó Diàn (Stone Buddha Hall): Situated halfway up the southern slope of the mountain, it houses three stone Buddhist statues representing the Three Saints of the West. The central main statue stands two zhang and four chi tall, while the two attendant bodhisattva statues are each one zhang and eight chi tall. These were carved based on a painting by Emperor Qianlong modeled after Zhang Sengyou’s artwork. The temple was destroyed in the 16th year of the Republic of China (1927), and one of the statues was lost during the construction of the Pan Shan Reservoir in the late 1970s. The other two were relocated to Yu Shi Zhuang in the early 1990s, where they now serve as the main statues of Wan Fo Si (Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple). The statues possess an ancient aesthetic, with slender and serene facial features. The main statue of Amitabha Buddha even retains a beard, which is quite distinct from typical Qing dynasty sculptures. The current site preserves the foundation and an inscribed stone by Emperor Qianlong that reads “The Face Is the True Mountain.”

Duǒ Shān Tíng (Pavilion among Peaks): Located below the Stone Buddha Hall, its foundation still remains. Behind the pavilion is a massive rock inscribed with an imperial poem titled “Duǒ Shān Tíng.”

Yǎn Cuì Tíng (Emerald Haze Pavilion): Positioned to the east of the Stone Buddha Hall, nearby there was an imperial-inscribed stone reading “Zhuó Yān Fēi” (Washing Smoke Door), but neither structure remains today.

Jìng Yuán Cháng Zhào (Mirror Circle Ever Shining): Located below Duǒ Shān Tíng and west of Céng Yán Fēi Cuì (Layered Rocks Flying Green), it is said to have originally been the Huàn Huà Sì (Transformation Temple). It was rebuilt into Zhú Zhāo Tí Sì (Bamboo Monastery) during the construction of the mountain villa and is one of the Eight Scenic Spots. Ruins here also include bricks and tiles from the Liao dynasty.

Bàn Tiān Lóu (Half-day Tower): Built on a flat area on the western slope of the mountain, this structure sits atop a high platform with a two-story tower featuring five bays and a hip-and-gable roof. Emperor Qianlong composed many poems here, and it is one of the Six New Scenic Spots. Its foundation still remains.

Qióng Yún Tíng (Gathering Clouds Pavilion): Located on the eastern side of the mountain’s summit, it has an octagonal shape, and its foundation is still preserved.

Mó Qīng Tíng (Ink-blue Pavilion): Situated northeast of Bàn Tiān Lóu, only its foundation remains. From here, looking north, one can see two large characters “Luó Píng” (Vine Screen) carved into a huge rock on the mountainside outside the palace. The characters are 4.5 meters tall and were inscribed by Emperor Qianlong.

Líng Rán Gé (Ethereal Pavilion): Located in the eastern valley of the mountain, it is a small architectural complex consisting of a quadrangle courtyard facing east with its back to the west. In the courtyard, there is a massive rock resembling a human palm, inscribed with the imperial characters “Xiān Zhǎng” (Immortal Palm). The surrounding rocks also bear poems by Emperor Qianlong. It is one of the Six New Scenic Spots. The foundation and courtyard walls remain, though the “Xiān Zhǎng” rock has been damaged by stone quarrying in recent years.

Yǔ Huā Shì (Rainflower Room): Located northeast of Líng Rán Gé, it follows a quadrangle layout, with red plum blossoms planted outdoors. Emperor Qianlong highly praised the red plums here, saying they surpassed those in the imperial gardens. It is one of the Six New Scenic Spots. The foundation remains.

Yún Lín Shí Shì (Cloud Forest Stone Chamber): Northwest of Yǔ Huā Shì, it is a natural stone chamber formed by massive rocks. The rocks are inscribed with the imperial characters “Yún Lín Shí Shì.” Both the stone chamber and the inscription have been damaged by stone quarrying in recent years.

II. Taohua Temple Temporary Palace

Located on Taohua Mountain, 17 li east of Jizhou County. According to the Daoguang-era “Jizhou Annals”: “Taohua Mountain is located eighteen li east of the prefecture. The peach blossoms on the mountain bloom earlier than elsewhere, hence its name. Midway up the mountain is Di Jin Quan (Purifying Robe Spring), whose winding, crystal-clear waters are delightful. There is a temple called Taohua Temple. To the east, it connects to the imperial mausoleum area fifty li away, making it a necessary route for imperial processions. In the 18th year of Qianlong’s reign, a temporary palace was built midway up the mountain.” The Taohua Temple Temporary Palace had eight scenic spots personally named by Emperor Qianlong: [Note: the original Chinese names for the eight spots were not translated due to possible OCR errors or missing characters].

The Taohua Temple Temporary Palace was destroyed during the Republic of China period, and only its foundation remains.

III. Longfu Temple Temporary Palace

Located at the foot of Longfu Mountain, 50 li northeast of Jizhou County. The Longfu Temple Temporary Palace derives its name from the nearby Longfu Temple, which served as a temporary resting place for the emperor before his final burial. The temporary palace itself functioned as the emperor’s final lodging spot during his mausoleum visits. Constructed during the Kangxi era, it was renovated in the 52nd year of Qianlong’s reign (1787 AD). The “Qianlong Imperial Poems” document six scenic spots here: Cuì Yún Shān Fáng (Jade Cloud Mountain Abode), Cuì Wēi Shì (Jade Mist Room), Bì ?t Dān Fēng (Azure-Dyed Scarlet Peaks), Tiān Bàn Fǎng (Heaven-Half Boat), Yì Xiá Jiào Yuè (Drawing the Rosy Clouds and Calling the Moon), and Yì Rán Tíng (Winged Pavilion).

The Longfu Temple Temporary Palace was destroyed during the Republic of China period, and only its foundation remains.

The Qianlong era marked the zenith of Chinese garden design artistry. Over the thirty-plus years from the 3rd to the 39th year of Qianlong’s reign, imperial garden construction was almost continuous. The newly built or expanded imperial gardens in and around Beijing alone totaled approximately 1,500 to 1,600 hectares. The scale of construction was unprecedented since the Song dynasty. In terms of garden types, there were “Imperial Inner Gardens” built within the Forbidden City, such as the Western Gardens, Jianfu Palace Garden, Cining Palace Garden, and Ningshou Palace Garden; “Detached Imperial Gardens” constructed in scenic areas for the emperor’s prolonged residence and political activities, such as Changchun Garden, Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), and Chengde Mountain Resort; and “Travel Palaces” located in the suburbs or outer regions for short-term imperial stays and leisure, such as Jingyi Garden, Jingming Garden, Qingyi Garden, Chunxi Garden, Leshan Garden, Nanyuan Travel Palace, Tangquan Travel Palace, and Jingji Mountain Villa. Regarding garden styles, nearly all forms of classical Chinese garden architecture were represented—courtyards, small artificial landscape gardens, large artificial landscape gardens, and large natural landscape gardens. As the second-largest natural landscape garden following the Chengde Mountain Resort, Jingji Mountain Villa also boasts distinctive garden design artistry. The Taohua Temple Temporary Palace and Longfu Temple Temporary Palace, due to their unique geographical locations, hold significant research value.

Although the ruins of the Qing dynasty travel palaces in Jizhou County now consist only of foundations, their historical context and the rich cultural phenomena they embody are profound. From a historical perspective, Emperor Qianlong was not only an emperor but also a literati. Garden and scenic design were material expressions of ancient literati’s emotional connection with nature. They created gardens within limited spaces and borrowed views from confined rooms. However, none possessed the economic resources that Emperor Qianlong, as a literati emperor, had. His large-scale garden construction during his reign reflected not only his inherent literati sentiments but also his respect—as a Manchu emperor—for Han Chinese cultural traditions, with clear underlying political motives. Therefore, the ruins of the Qing dynasty travel palaces in Jizhou County serve as important evidence for studying the history and culture of the Qing dynasty.