Lecture - The Restoration of the Emperor’s Private Paradise at the Forbidden City, May 2015

WMF and the Palace Museum have been restoring the glories of the Qianlong Garden complex for over a decade.

Created at the peak of Imperial China's economic and cultural importance, the Qianlong Garden complex in the Forbidden City was intended to be the center of the retirement retreat of the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799). His long and remarkable reign saw dramatic military conquests and spectacular literary and artistic achievements, but was also a time of corrosive corruption and bureaucratic stagnation. Over many decades, he focused his inquisitive mind on the creation of the exquisite pavilions and gardens that were to be his sanctuary in old age.

In this lecture, Dr. Andrew Solomon discusses the creation, rediscovery, and ongoing conservation of the Qianlong Garden.

Learn more: https://www.wmf.org/project/qianlong-...