The Summer Palace of Empress Dowager Cixi

A Newly Written Travelogue of the Summer Palace · Jeon Nanum · Ewha Womans University

After finishing our schedule at Yuanmingyuan, we moved to the Summer Palace (頤和園). Before fully exploring the Summer Palace in 2014, I became curious about what those who had visited before thought of it.

In 1930, Samchulli

described the Summer Palace as the foremost architectural marvel of China, built by Empress Dowager Cixi

(三千里)

Empress Dowager Cixi

by squeezing the lifeblood out of the Chinese people (Samchulli, 1930). The admiration that its splendor and grandeur rivaled that of the Palace of Versailles in France was met with the author's sighs and ridicule. In 1941, the excessively luxurious Summer Palace was a bygone summer palace that evoked 'Empress Dowager Cixi, who enjoyed all sorts of luxuries despite not being particularly remarkable' (Samchulli, 1941).

(西太后)

building.

After establishing its government in 1949, the People's Republic of China (hereinafter China) adopted a foreign policy that regarded all pro-American countries as hostile. Furthermore, due to China's participation in the Korean War, Korea and China built a wall of estrangement for nearly 30 years. It was not until 1992 that Korea and China normalized diplomatic relations and resumed civilian exchanges. It was difficult to find travelogues about the Summer Palace from the late 20th century. During that period of separation, our perspectives on each other changed as they underwent numerous transformations. The Summer Palace in 2014, the newly written Summer Palace, reflects the gaze of the young generation of the 21st century looking at China.

Empress Dowager Cixi's Administration

(內政) Empress Dowager Cixi, originally a palace maid, began to steadily accumulate 'experience' towards power after becoming a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng

in 1851. After Emperor Xianfeng's suspicious death, she staged the Xinyou Coup and ruled from behind the scenes as regent for her son, Emperor Tongzhi,

(咸豊帝)

behind the scenes

behind the scenes

(同治帝)

effectively becoming the empress of the Qing Dynasty (Begien, 2012). Two years after reaching adulthood, Emperor Tongzhi died, and Empress Dowager Cixi adopted her four-year-old nephew, Zaichen

as her adopted son and enthroned him in 1874.

(載湉)

This child would later become Emperor Guangxu.

Thereafter, Empress Dowager Cixi, who actively entered the political arena, held real power until her death (Koo Sung-hee, 2012). Although an edict was issued in 1886, the 12th year of Guangxu's reign, announcing the transfer of state affairs to Emperor Guangxu, it was a mere formality. In the same year, the reconstruction of the Summer Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi began.

(光緖帝)

1. Encyclopedia of Current Affairs. "Korea-China Diplomatic Relations." Park Mun Gak. http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=74000&cid=504&categoryId=504 (Accessed January 20, 2014).

▼ Entrance to Renshou Hall, Renshou Gate. Located directly in front of the Summer Palace entrance. The reconstruction was the reality of power. From 1889, Empress Dowager Cixi moved her residence from the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace and continued to manage state affairs.

Renshou Hall

In Renshou Hall, Empress Dowager Cixi met foreign dignitaries while overseeing state affairs with Emperor Guangxu, who held only nominal power.

(仁寿殿)

Upon entering the main gate of the Summer Palace, one immediately sees Renshou Hall, situated in a secluded location. The position of Renshou Hall, in front of the main gate and the palace, was unique. In Korea's Gyeongbok Palace, Geunjeongjeon, where state affairs were conducted, is located deep within the palace. Its location signifies its centrality to the palace, as key state matters were decided there. Similarly, in a dining hall, the inner seats are considered more prestigious than those near the entrance. However, Renshou Hall is located at the entrance of the Summer Palace. The main gate.

This seemed to represent Empress Dowager Cixi's power, maintained through cunning tactics that had lost their legitimacy.

The Summer Palace was originally built for the purpose of summer retreats and recuperation. It was first constructed in the early 12th century during the Jin Dynasty.

In 1750, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty,

it was significantly

(乾隆帝)

expanded. At the time of its construction, it was named Qingyi Garden.

Qingyi

(清漪園)

Garden, which was the original name of the Summer Palace, was damaged by looting and arson by the Anglo-French allied forces in 1860 during the final stages of the Second Opium War. However, after being rebuilt in 1886, it became the renowned Summer Palace of Empress Dowager Cixi.

2

The Summer Palace, where various halls and temples were newly built to assist the de facto ruler Empress Dowager Cixi in managing state affairs, became not just a summer resort but a palace where national politics were conducted. It is natural that buildings for summer retreats and recuperation are mixed with buildings for state affairs in the Summer Palace. Among these, Dehe Garden

was a representative building for relaxation.

The Summer Palace contained buildings for both leisure and governance.

2. Doosan Encyclopedia. "Yiheyuan [Summer Palace and Imperial Garden in Beijing, 頤和園 (Summer Palace)]." http://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000741428 (Accessed January 24, 2014).

頤和園(Summer Palace)]".

In particular, Dehe Garden

is a prime example of a structure for relaxation.

(德和園)

Dehe Garden houses China's largest Peking Opera theater. It is said that Empress Dowager Cixi had it built between 1891 and 1895 at a cost of 710,000 taels of silver (Park Mi-jin, 2013). At first glance, one might think that a ruler would want to escape the clamor of the world and spend time in quietude, but Empress Dowager Cixi was not like that. She loved the splendid and lively Peking Opera, which combined dance and song. Empress Dowager Cixi attended Peking Opera performances almost every day after arriving at the Summer Palace. Especially on her birthday, she would spend three days before and five days after her birthday, a total of nine days, continuously watching Peking Opera. Empress Dowager Cixi even donned costumes herself, mingled with Peking Opera actors, and sang and danced (Kim Hak-ju, 2011).

In January 2014, the Summer Palace was still as vast and magnificent as it was in 1930 and 1941. Although the splendor of the summer palace was difficult to appreciate due to the winter season, the exclamations of "Wow!" that erupted spontaneously due to the sheer scale of the Summer Palace were incessant. The Summer Palace was the imperial villa and garden favored by Empress Dowager Cixi. The vast artificial lake, Kunming Lake,

and the artificial

(昆明湖)

mountain, Longevity Hill, approximately 60 meters high

This harmonious scenery is the greatest spectacle of the Summer Palace. Kun

(Longevity Hill)

ming Lake seemed like a vast sea. It did not seem to have been man-made. In fact, Kunming Lake may have been a sea for Empress Dowager Cixi. To silence political criticism, Empress Dowager Cixi diverted national funds collected for naval expansion to the reconstruction of the Summer Palace. Naval training actually took place in her 'sea,' Kunming Lake. Criticism against Empress Dowager Cixi was somewhat mitigated, and Kunming Lake appeared to be the result of legitimate budget execution. 6. The Summer Palace Newly Written by Empress Dowager Cixi

was broken, and Kunming Lake seemed to be the result of legitimate budget execution. The reconstruction of the Summer

Palace led to the claim that the Qing Dynasty was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894.

The construction at the time required enormous funds (Shin Myung-ho 2010).

Empress Dowager Cixi, who was criticized for building a palace solely for herself with the blood and sweat of her people. The Summer Palace is difficult to consider an essential structure for the livelihood of the Qing people. The magnificent Summer Palace demonstrates how much of a nation's wealth can be concentrated for just one person.

people. The magnificent Summer Palace demonstrates how much of a nation's wealth can be concentrated for just one person.

person. The magnificent Summer Palace demonstrates how much of a nation's wealth can be concentrated for just one person.

person. The magnificent Summer Palace demonstrates how much of a nation's wealth can be concentrated for just one

person. The magnificent Summer Palace demonstrates how much of a nation's wealth can be concentrated for just one person.

(Wealth)

Examining the forms that accumulated wealth takes in any society helps to reveal the power structure within that society (Heilbroner et al. 2010). Empress Dowager Cixi possessed immense power to compel countless people to contribute their sweat and blood for her luxurious life in the Summer Palace. The concentration of Qing Dynasty's wealth in the Summer Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi alone was a natural consequence because the Qing Dynasty's economy operated by command. At that time, the person who could redistribute wealth through the most powerful command in the entire Qing Dynasty was Empress Dowager Cixi.

society (Heilbroner et al. 2010). Empress Dowager Cixi possessed immense power to compel countless people to contribute their sweat and blood for her luxurious life in the Summer Palace. The concentration of Qing Dynasty's wealth in the Summer Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi alone was a natural consequence because the Qing Dynasty's economy operated by command. At that time, the person who could redistribute wealth through the most powerful command in the entire Qing Dynasty was Empress Dowager Cixi.

Palace. The concentration of Qing Dynasty's wealth in the Summer Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi alone was a natural consequence because the Qing Dynasty's economy operated by command. At that time, the person who could redistribute wealth through the most powerful command in the entire Qing Dynasty was Empress Dowager Cixi.

Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi alone was a natural consequence because the Qing Dynasty's economy operated by command. At that time, the person who could redistribute wealth through the most powerful command in the entire Qing Dynasty was Empress Dowager Cixi.

Sea, Kunming Lake ▼Kunming Lake and

Longevity Hill

Longevity Hill. The reason why the wealth of the Qing Dynasty could be concentrated in the Summer Palace for Empress Dowager Cixi alone was because the Qing Dynasty's economy operated by command. At that time, the person who could redistribute wealth through the most powerful command in the entire Qing Dynasty was Empress Dowager Cixi, so the concentration of wealth in her hands was a natural outcome.

Conversely, in a market-driven economy, there is no room for magnificent structures built solely to satisfy one person. In countries with market economies, places comparable in scale and splendor to the Summer Palace of the past are complex commercial spaces. Seoul's COEX is a prime example. Under a market economic system, a nation's wealth is used to build structures that capture the hearts of anonymous masses willing to open their wallets. There is no space for an 'Empress Dowager Cixi's Summer Palace' in countries with market economies. 6. The Summer Palace Newly Written by Empress Dowager Cixi

Empress Dowager Cixi's Diplomacy

The Long Corridor of the Summer Palace

is a long corridor that encircles the shore of Kunming Lake, connecting the Hall of Benevolent Light and the Hall of Virtuous Radiance

(Long Corridor)

with other pavilions and temples in the Summer Palace. The Long Corridor is 778 meters long with 273 bays, making it the largest and longest corridor in China. It is adorned with numerous paintings on its ceiling and walls, earning it the title of 'China's Largest Outdoor Art Museum.'3

Did Empress Dowager Cixi consider the Long Corridor a venue for diplomatic receptions?

▼Long Corridor When conversing with friends about artworks in a museum, one often gains insight into their personalities and thoughts, which may not be readily apparent in daily life. Just as with artworks, people sometimes use third objects, distinct from themselves and others, to peer into each other's minds. Did Empress Dowager Cixi, through the paintings in the Long Corridor, gauge the intentions of foreign dignitaries visiting the Summer Palace? It is possible that Empress Dowager Cixi considered the Long Corridor a venue for diplomatic receptions. 3 Encyclopedia Doosan. "Summer Palace and Imperial Garden in Beijing, 頤和園 (Summer Palace)." http://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000741428 (accessed January 24, 2014).

Beyond the paintings in the Long Corridor, Kunming Lake within it must have also served as a medium between Empress Dowager Cixi and foreign dignitaries. The pillars, floor, and roof of the Long Corridor act as a frame, and Kunming Lake unfolding in the center is a painting that changes its face with the seasons. Kunming Lake in the morning, shimmering with sunlight on the water's surface. Its vastness revealed amidst the winter fog in the afternoon. Imagining the conversations that might have taken place between them, walking through the Long Corridor felt new.

Following the Long Corridor, the last place I wanted to visit in the Summer Palace was the Qing'an Fang (清晏舫), but I was disappointed that I could not see it due to the late hour. Built during the Qianlong Emperor's reign in 1755, the Qing'an Fang is a marble boat, 36 meters in total length. The structures above the Qing'an Fang were built in an ancient style (Yoo In-hye 2009). Water can float a boat, but it can also capsize it; however, it was said that the Qing'an Fang could not be capsized, thus it was likened to the Qing Dynasty. The Qing'an Fang symbolized the immense power of the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Qianlong's reign, suggesting that the Qing Dynasty would not be overthrown by any foreign crisis (People's Daily Online 2010).

Built during the Qianlong Emperor's reign in 1755, the Qing'an Fang is a marble boat, 36 meters in total length. The structures above the Qing'an Fang were built in an ancient style (Yoo In-hye 2009). Water can float a boat, but it can also capsize it; however, it was said that the Qing'an Fang could not be capsized, thus it was likened to the Qing Dynasty. The Qing'an Fang symbolized the immense power of the Qing Dynasty under Emperor Qianlong's reign, suggesting that the Qing Dynasty would not be overthrown by any foreign crisis (People's Daily Online 2010).

The Qing'an Fang was one of the structures destroyed by the Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War. Empress Dowager Cixi renovated this Qing'an Fang in a Western style in 1893 (Yoo In-hye 2009). A Western-style renovation. If Gyeongbok Palace, burned down during the Imjin War, had been rebuilt in a Japanese style, the Joseon court and its people would never have accepted it. I became curious about the historical background that allowed Empress Dowager Cixi to rebuild the Qing'an Fang, destroyed by Western allied forces without any repercussions, in a Western style and enjoy leisure there. 6. The Summer Palace Newly Written by Empress Dowager Cixi Could it be that Empress Dowager Cixi's renovation of the Qing'an Fang in a Western style was not an act of betrayal but an adaptation, given the Qing imperial culture's enjoyment of Western goods as luxury items in Beijing, a city that had long been international? Or was it because no one could oppose Empress Dowager Cixi, the absolute ruler?

The Qing'an Fang was one of the structures destroyed by the Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War. Empress Dowager Cixi renovated this Qing'an Fang in a Western style in 1893 (Yoo In-hye 2009). A Western-style renovation. If Gyeongbok Palace, burned down during the Imjin War, had been rebuilt in a Japanese style, the Joseon court and its people would never have accepted it. I became curious about the historical background that allowed Empress Dowager Cixi to rebuild the Qing'an Fang, destroyed by Western allied forces without any repercussions, in a Western style and enjoy leisure there. 6. The Summer Palace Newly Written by Empress Dowager Cixi Could it be that Empress Dowager Cixi's renovation of the Qing'an Fang in a Western style was not an act of betrayal but an adaptation, given the Qing imperial culture's enjoyment of Western goods as luxury items in Beijing, a city that had long been international? Or was it because no one could oppose Empress Dowager Cixi, the absolute ruler?

would never have accepted it.

(People)

I became curious about the historical background that allowed Empress Dowager Cixi to rebuild the Qing'an Fang, destroyed by Western allied forces without any repercussions, in a Western style and enjoy leisure there. 6. The Summer Palace Newly Written by Empress Dowager Cixi Could it be that Empress Dowager Cixi's renovation of the Qing'an Fang in a Western style was not an act of betrayal but an adaptation, given the Qing imperial culture's enjoyment of Western goods as luxury items in Beijing, a city that had long been international? Or was it because no one could oppose Empress Dowager Cixi, the absolute ruler?

Leaving the Summer Palace

Walking through the Summer Palace was a journey of intertwined admiration, sighs, and questions. My steps, conscious of Empress Dowager Cixi who lived and breathed within the Summer Palace, deepened my thoughts. Although I began this excursion with the ambition to dissect the Summer Palace from the perspective learned in the EAI Sarangbang (study group), I regret that I could not fully capture it as much as I had hoped. Nevertheless, it was a deeply moving experience to encounter Chinese history, which I had only read about in books, firsthand. Learning through the body, experiencing the past on-site by seeing with my eyes, hearing with my ears, and feeling the Beijing cold. It felt as if another Sarangbang class should begin after completing this excursion, which was like a Sarangbang class. ■

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