Yulan Hall

Yulan Hall

Yulan hall is on the Bank of Kunming Lake in the summer palace. It was built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1875-1908. It's the palace of Emperor Guangxu. In 1898, after the failure of the reform movement of 1898, Cixi had imprisoned Guangxu here.

Introduction to architecture

Yulan hall is a courtyard style building. The main hall of Yulan hall faces south, with Xiafen room in the East and lotus Pavilion in the West. There were back doors in the three halls. The east hall could reach Renshou hall, the west hall could reach lakeside wharf, and the back door of the main hall was directly opposite Yiyun hall. The building was first built in the 15th year of Qianlong, burned in 1860 and rebuilt in 1892. After the failure of the reform movement of 1898, Guangxu was imprisoned here. At that time, in order to prevent Guangxu from contacting with the outside world, many walls were built. Although most of them are demolished today, traces can still be seen. “

Most of the furnishings in the main hall are made during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The red sandalwood screen after the imperial case is very distinctive, and the picture has a strong three-dimensional sense. The throne, imperial case and incense table are made of light agarwood and dark red sandalwood, which are extremely precious. Dongnuange is the breakfast room. Xinuan is the bedroom, and the present furnishings are the original. Most of the furnishings in the hall are relics of the Qianlong period. The back eaves and the two halls are isolated from the outside world by brick walls, which is an important historical site in the summer palace.

Historical evolution

Yulan hall was a book Hall of the emperor during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. The emperor of Jiaqing Dynasty once worked here, had meals and summoned ministers. During the reign of Daoguang, in order to save money, some furnishings were withdrawn, which was used to give feasts to ministers who were meritorious.

During the period of Qingyi Garden, the main layout of the hall was as follows:

In the center of Mingjian hall, there is a ground and a throne, behind which there are five screens. The ground is provided with a covered brazier. The interior of the floor cover is Nan'an cypress box bed, with crown frame and desk on both sides. There are bottles, boxes, inkstones and boxes on the table. The box contains water, brush, album, ink bed, ink and so on.

The East and the West are set up against the wall, with bottles, bells, Ding, duo, books, etc. There are pictures and calligraphy on the wall. On the left side of the bed is a incense table with album, stone box and screen. There is a desk on the right, with album, scroll and other things on it. Bottles, stoves, dowries and mirrors are placed on both sides of the bed. Several cases were placed against the south wall, with book boxes on both sides of the case, and books were displayed on and inside the case. In the East, Xi'an Nanbai wooden box bed, with incense table and books placed on the left side of the bed. On the right side, there is a desk for books and a cover box for jade plates. The ground is provided with a covered brazier. In front of the pillar, put a high foot incense table. There are landscape paintings on all sides of the screen wall.

In the east of the west room, there is a box bed made of Nanbai wood and a desk on both sides. The left table is equipped with Gu, ink, bottle, inkstone and box. The right table is equipped with stove, bottle, box, scroll, album, etc. On the western wall, there are jade pots, calligraphy and books. In the west, Nan'an cypress box bed with incense table and books and albums. Next to the crown frame, book grid. The book case is placed on the east wall outside the floor cover, and books and plum bottles are set on it. A bronze brazier was set on the ground.

On the Wanzi bed of Nanbai box in Dong'an, xibaoxia is equipped with scroll, Ruyi, box, table, plate, box, bottle and red sandalwood cover box with a seal of "treasure of Wanshou mountain Qingyi Garden" carved on Jasper. There are bottles, jars and books on the Kang case. Inside, there is a carved red sandalwood cover box engraved with the seal of "the treasure of Qingyi Garden in Wanshou mountain" in green jade. There is a pair of book cases, with flower Gu and willow bucket in the left case, and album in the left and right drawers. On the bed, there are 2 pairs of silk dragon boats, 1 pair of red sandalwood, 1 pair of mahogany and 1 pair of teeth dragon boats.

In Qingyi Garden, the accessory Hall of Yulan hall, Xiafen room and Ou Xiangxie, were also richly decorated, including Luohan throne bed, nine screen wall, palace fan, xiudun, Kang case, inserted screen mirror, Tiao case, album, calligraphy and painting, etc.

After 1898, the North-South brick walls were built in the two halls, and the furnishings were withdrawn. There are only stone pedestals outside the hall.

During the Guangxu period, the Yulan hall was used as the palace of Emperor Guangxu. After the failure of the reform movement of 1898, Emperor Guangxu was put under house arrest here. There were only furniture and other daily necessities in the hall, but few literary ornaments. According to the book of furnishings in the 28th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu, there were only 105 furnishings in Yulan hall, mainly including gold lacquer throne, tea table, duobaoge, Wu stool, hardwood rattan heart bed, hardwood rattan bottom Luohan bed, hardwood Dragon carving cupboard, Dragon carving top vertical cabinet, Dragon carving Fushou chair, Dragon carving Fushou Qiaotou case, longevity carving chair, glass screen, glass screen mirror, throne bed, and hardwood inlaid snail Eight immortals marble table, chair, tea table, piano table, hardwood box silk bamboo small table, hardwood carving Yunlong large screen, hardwood carving Xinlong Qiaotou case, Jiaji case, hardwood dragon writing case, duobaoge screen, foot step, small table, short foot piano case, three round tables, big and small screen, high leg basin view seat, high leg fruit tray rack, big and small piano table, crescent table, small prying head case, frame table, round table, small bed , duobaoge, Xiangji, semicircular table, Kang Table, shizidun, box inlaid screen, high leg and big fruit plate bottom, octagonal and high leg bonsai seat, Huali porcelain heart tea table, Kang Table, tiaozan, Qiaotou table, Kang Table, Baxian table, top vertical cabinet, Xiaoqiaotou table, rattan heart shelf Luohan bed, porcelain heart Wu stool, carved Yunlong rattan heart chair, carved bamboo plum lute table, carved golden character calligraphy lute table, yanghuali carved character Qiaotou table, There are 24 pieces of hard wood screen, gold carved dragon throne, hongyoudi golden ball throne, Jinhua hongyoudi screen, hongyoudi golden ball desktop, hongyoudi golden dining table, Mugen throne, luanling palace fan, camphor bed, red lacquer Golden Silk Piano table and other unmatched hard wood furniture. There are only 16 pieces of furnishings, such as blue and white porcelain bottle, colorful hundred deer porcelain bottle, frozen blue and dark flower Dadou, ancient bronze Zhuge drum, ancient bronze flower arrangement, ancient bronze Han pot, enamel yuangongxun, brown wood poetic tea table, hardwood stationery xiaoduobaoge, hardwood inlaid with sapphire small screen.

After 1949, the Yulan hall was arranged according to the original palace furnishings, which neutralized the characteristics of the two historical periods, retaining the characteristics of the early "Shutang" and the late "bedroom". In the center of the hall, the throne, the imperial case, the palm fan, the screen and other furnishings on the ground bed are all objects of the Qianlong period. Especially with red sandalwood and agarwood inlay, collage, carved from the throne, Royal case, incense table, modeling straight, delicate patterns, is the summer palace furniture in the boutique.

Related events

On September 16, 1898, Emperor Guangxu summoned Yuan Shikai, who had military power, to help implement the new deal in the main hall of Yulan hall. Yuan Shikai disobeyed the law and turned to informer. Five days later, Empress Dowager Cixi issued an "imperial edict" saying that the emperor was ill and that she would "discipline politics" again. Since then, every year when she lived in the garden, she brought Emperor Guangxu to the garden and imprisoned him in Yulan hall. In order to prevent Emperor Guangxu from escaping, the East, West and North passageways of Yulan hall were blocked, and the South passageway was monitored day and night by eunuchs who were close to Empress Dowager Cixi. When Guangxu was under house arrest in the Yulan Hall of the summer palace, the doors and windows on all sides were blocked, completely losing his freedom. In the East and west side halls, there are still brick walls built in those days, which is a witness of history.

Address: in the summer palace, No.19, Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Longitude: 116.27915

Latitude: 39.998149

Ticket information: no ticket required. Included in the summer palace ticket.