(Strolling along the Long Corridor)
The Long Corridor is one of the major structures of the Summer Palace .Since the corridor was designed to follow the physical features of the southern slope of Longevity Hill , four multiple-eaved, octagonal pavilions (Beauty-Retaining Pavilion, Enjoy-the Ripples Pavilion, Autumn Water Pavilion and Clarity Distance Pavilion) were placed at bends and undulation. Thus sightseers will hardly notice the rise and fall of the terrain. As a major part of the architectural style of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridor serves as an ingenious connector between the Lake and the hill. Scattered buildings on the southern slope were linked to creat a unified complex.
This corridor can also be called a “corridor of paintings ”: There are more than 14,000 paintings on its beams. Some of them are of birds, flowers and landscapes of the West lake in Hangzhou, Zhejian Province. Others present scenes from literary classics. The majority of the landscape painting were done under the order of Emperor Qianlong, who preperred the scenery of South China.
(By the door leading to the exhibition of cultural relics)
this group of temple-shaped structures are known as Qinghua (Clarified China) Hall ,also known as Arhat Hall during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The original hall burned down in 1860. After it was reconstructed, it was renamed.
Qinghua Hall is now used as a exhibition hall displaying rare cultural relics collected in the Summer Palace. The hall consists of 6 exhibition rooms with tens of thousands of articles of treasure on display in turn. Among the exhibits there are bronze ware, porcelain, jade assemblages from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and rare and paintings. There is also a gigantic stone slab, which is more than 3 meters in height and width. It bears the handwritten inscriptions of Emperor Qianlong is commemoration of the suppression of a rebellion in the Xinjiang region. Only this slab survived when the Angle-French allied forces set fire to the Summer Palace.
(In front of the Gate of Dispelling Clouds)
Now we are approaching the central part of the structures on the lakeside slope, the Tower of Buddhist Incense within the Hall of Dispelling Clouds. The Hall of Dispelling Clouds was where numerous palatines kowtowed to Empress Dowager Cixi. It was surrounded by galleries and flanked by annex halls. In the forecourt there is a pool and marble bridges . Starting from the lakeside, there lies in succession a memorial archway, the Gate of Dispelling Clouds, the Hall of Dispelling Clouds and the Tower of Buddhist Incense. All of these structures are built on a central axis and each is taller than its predecessor. This was designed to give prominence to the last structure, the Tower of Buddhist Incense, which was a symbol of imperial power. The layout of this group of architectures was based on scenes described in Buddhist sutras. This group of structure are among the most magnificently constructed here in the Summer Palace.
(Inside the Hall of Dispelling Clouds)
The original buildings on this site were burned down by the Anglo-French allied forces in 1860. A new set of structures was built during the reign of Emperor Guanxu, and was called the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, suggesting that it was a fairyland.
The hall was built on a high terrace, and has 21 room. Inside the hall are a throne, screens, tripods and mandarin fans. On a platform you will see bronze dragons, phoenixes and tripods. At the foot of the platform there are four bronze water vats, the ancient form of fire extinguishers.
The 10th day of lunar October was ,Empress Dowager Cixi` s birthday. On that day ,she sat on the throne here to receive congratulations and gifts.
Now we are going to pay a visit to the highlight of the Summer Palace- the Tower of Buddhist Incense. What we are now standing on is a stone terrace which is 20 meters in height. It has a semi housed stairway of 100 steps, you will live for 100 years. So, let` s go !