Remembering China’s Western Palaces
The University of Manchester Special Collections Library is home to many spectacular rare books, and its copy of the Engraved Views of the Western Palaces in the Garden of Perfect Brightness (‘Yuanmingyuan Xiyang Lou Tongban Hua’, 圓明園西洋樓銅板畫) is no exception. Commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor (乾隆帝, 1711–1799 CE) and overseen by Manchu artist Ilantai (伊蘭泰), these copper-plate engravings travelled from Beijing to France in 1786, where they were finished and bound in a French-style album one year later. Subsequently acquired by Enriqueta Rylands, it became a permanent addition to the Rylands Library in 1908.
Only three other copies of the album are known, at the Bibliothéque Nationale de France, the Getty Research Institute, and the New York Public Library. The Rylands’ copy, however, features an unfinished, hand-drawn watercolour painting that breathes life into the plates (Fig. 1). The historical significance of ‘The Views’ cannot be overemphasised. As one of few visual records of the Yuanmingyuan, it documents the architectural collaborations that resulted from exchanges between Europe and China during the first half of the Qing dynasty.
The Yuanmingyuan: A Brief History
Painter Jean Denis Attiret once described the Yuanmingyuan as a “veritable paradise on earth”. A retreat for China’s emperors, the complex was a world within itself. It sprawled over 3.5 square kilometres, eight times the size of Vatican City. Its artificial landscapes of lakes, hills, and palaces mirrored the outside world. Exotic animals roamed the site, which hosted farms, a replica village, schools, theatres, and temples, totalling 650 structures and 130 ‘formal views’. Sir William Chambers, architect of Kew Gardens, once remarked that the Chinese “…take nature for their pattern”.
Indeed, nature was a harmonising element for each section of the Yuanmingyuan. Notably, the term ‘yuan,’ or ‘garden,’ also refers to circular shapes. In both Daoist and Buddhist philosophies, the circle is an emblem of purity, enlightenment, and natural harmony. The Yuanmingyuan was designed to evoke scenes from nature, blending bridges and pagodas seamlessly into manmade rivers and hillocks. Qianlong, who spent his formative years within the Yuanmingyuan, contributed greatly to its expansion. While there was no shortage of Chinese-style pavilions and gardens in the Yuanmingyuan, the Xiyang Lou (西洋楼), or ‘Western-style buildings’, were unique to all of China.
A Tale of Cultural Exchange
Jesuit missionaries first visited China in the 16th century and began interacting with royalty in the late Ming court of the 17th century, bringing their Western scientific knowledge to China’s emperors. In the latter half of the 18th century, the Yuanmingyuan welcomed numerous Jesuit architects, engineers, and artists into its grounds.
A handful of these privileged guests, including painters Giuseppe Castiglione and Jean Denis Attiret, planned and oversaw the construction of the Xiyang Lou, which comprised of over 40 Baroque-inspired, ‘Sino-European’ style palaces situated in French-esque gardens and pavilions (Fig. 2). Others took on various tasks, including maintaining imported Western wares, clocks, and European instruments. Evidently, Qianlong was much keener on Western art than his predecessors. In addition to constructing the Xiyang Lou, he commissioned numerous European-style frescoes and paintings of scenes from aristocratic life.
Examining the Xiyang Lou
The hand-drawn watercolour within the Rylands’ ‘Views’ (Fig. 1) depicts the southern-facing exterior of the first European-style palace built in China, known as the Xie Qi Qu (諧奇 趣), literally, ‘harmonious, exotic, interesting’. It is seen in more detail in an engraving in the album (Fig. 3). From the outset, this façade appears to be grounded in the principles of Baroque and classical architecture. Bevies of western columns, pilasters, and distinctly Baroque floral motifs populate the structures. The central staircases and fountain are reminiscent of scenes from 18th-century Rome, while the ornate glass windows stand in contrast to China’s traditional paper window screens.
Interestingly, the Xie Qi Qu and other depicted structures retained some Chinese architectural elements. One engraving shows the eastern façade of the Haiyantang (海晏堂, ‘Hall of Peaceful Seas’) with its side wings’ hip-roofs forming a distinctly Chinese silhouette amid Baroque exteriors (Fig. 4). Symbolic fish statuettes atop the roofs denote imperial status, while the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac watch the fountain display with its writhing serpents. Collectively, the Xiyang Lou exemplify early ‘Sino-European’ architecture, which drew upon the lavish decorative tastes of China and the West.
The Western Palaces of the Yuanmingyuan
As a final act of the Second Opium War, the Yuanmingyuan was looted and destroyed by Anglo-French troops in 1860. The remains of its grandiose palaces are reminiscent of Greek and Roman ruins; they carry a heavy sense of loss and forgotten splendour. Many of the Yuanmingyuan’s treasures are scattered across British households and museums today. The Rylands’ copy of ‘The Views’ allows a precious glimpse into an era of unprecedented intercultural exchange otherwise lost to the ravages of time.
This is one of three stories, showcasing different collections held by the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, published by undergraduate placement students from the University of Manchester’s art history department. Other stories are available here and here.
Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA. For further information about each image, please follow the links.
Kailyn Huang, BA Art History
