Beijing’s Imperial Gardens Reclaim Their Royal Legacy

For generations, the area known as the Three Hills and Five Gardens—including the Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, and Changchun Garden—suffered from the ravages of war and neglect. Once the pinnacle of imperial design, these sites served as a melting pot of global aesthetics, incorporating Tibetan architecture, European Renaissance influences, and traditional Chinese mythology. Scholars like Zhu Qiang note that the region was never merely a leisure retreat; it was a sophisticated administrative center where emperors met officials and managed state affairs away from the rigid formalities of the inner city.

Following the destruction by Anglo-French forces in 1860, the complexes fell into deep decline. Recent initiatives have shifted the strategy from isolated repairs to a holistic preservation model. Yan Xiaoyu, a senior engineer at the Summer Palace, describes the ongoing work as essential to maintaining the integrity of what she calls the “swan song” of imperial garden architecture. Recent projects include the meticulous restoration of colorful beam paintings along the Long Corridor and the conversion of the Zhengjue Temple into a public museum. By integrating transparent display panels and educational walkways, authorities are allowing modern visitors to visualize the original structures, effectively bridging the gap between centuries of imperial history and contemporary urban life.