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Delta, BC Canada
‘Burrvilla’ is an elaborate and sophisticated two storey plus basement wood-frame Queen Anne Revival style residence. It is part of the Deas Island Park heritage grouping and is situated near the Delta Agricultural Hall and Inverholme School.
Similar to its original location, the house is oriented with views towards the Fraser River amidst large expanses of grass and a mixed canopy of deciduous and coniferous trees.
Built in 1905-06 at the corner of 62B and River Road, ‘Burrvilla’ reflects the turn of the nineteenth century economic expansion of Delta's farming industry, and symbolizes the wealth and status attained by the prominent Burr family. It is of great historic importance within the Crescent Island community and is a valuable legacy of Delta’s pioneering origins. The house and its farm were an important centre for community social gatherings for Crescent Islanders and others from Ladner
Also, the Burr property was the location of a steamer landing and briefly housed Crescent Island’s only post office. The house was the most prominent in the area and a well-known community landmark.
The man for whom the house was built, Henry Benjamin Burr (known as ‘Harry’), was the son of W.H. Burr who was an early pioneer involved in the municipal incorporation of Delta. Harry Burr began farming on Crescent Island in the 1890s and married Edith Blanche Mitchell, daughter of pioneer Nathaniel Mitchell, in 1899. The house remained in Burr family ownership until 1974.
The heritage value of ‘Burrvilla’ is also associated with its architecture as an excellent and unusually late example of the popular Queen Anne Revival Style. The house represents a transition point between the elaborate Victorian residential styles and the more simplified expressions of the Edwardian era. It was constructed by carpenter, Fred Land, and designer/builder, David Price, who was Harry Burr's brother-in-law.
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Thank-you for your visit, and any comments or faves are always very much appreciated! ~Sonja
www.tourduvalat.org/en/newsletter/la_reserve_naturelle_re...
A remarkable site for temporary ponds
The Tour du Valat Foundation is the owner of a 2560 ha estate made up of natural and agricultural lands, grazed by some 450 Camargue cattle and 80 Camargue horses. The natural zones form a mosaic of the emblematic and now rare habitats of the fluviolacustrine Camargue, the area at the interface between riverine and maritime influences.
These relatively non-saline habitats were largely destroyed in the past for the development of agriculture. The result is a natural heritage of exceptional value, adapted to the particular conditions of the area. Since July 2008, 1845 ha of the Estate (i.e., 72% of its total surface area) have been granted the protection status Réserve naturelle régionale or Regional Natural Reserve (RNR).
Of the many natural habitats that make up the site, the temporary ponds are among the most remarkable. Some of them (the least saline) are examples of a habitat of priority community interest under the European Habitats Directive, which are in sharp decline around the Mediterranean basin, Mediterranean Temporary Ponds (MTP)1. Such ponds cover a total surface area of 18.3 ha on the Tour du Valat Estate, i.e. 65% of all the MTPs in the Camargue.
In all, there are 65 ponds of various kinds on the Estate covering a total surface area of about 60 ha (their size is highly variable in function of water level). They vary considerably in size, shape, depth, level of isolation, and salinity, with consequent influences on the plant and animal communities that live in and around them.
In particular, there is a wide diversity of plant species, certain of which are highly threatened. Among the eleven protected species (four at national level, and seven at regional level) found in the Tour du Valat RNR, two are of major importance for conservation:
The Starfruit or Water star (Damasonium polyspermum) is an attractive little white-flowered annual plant, a member of the Alismataceae family. This Western Mediterranean endemic is typical of Mediterranean temporary ponds. Its world conservation status is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is protected by ministerial decree in France, where it is present at some ten sites, including the Tour du Valat. In the RNR, it is found, sometimes in populations of several thousands, in six oligosaline (very slightly salty) ponds with a sunny exposition and scattered emergent vegetation; it emerges only when flooding conditions are favourable, i.e. when there is enough water in early spring.
Riella helicophylla is a small aquatic liverwort just a few centimetres in height. Endemic to the Mediterranean basin, it is listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive, and is currently being added to the list of French protected species. It is fond of distinctly saline, shallow, clear, temporary flood water, with limited plant cover. It was only recently discovered at the Tour du Valat (March 2012) in saline borrow pits and some low depressions in the flooded sansouïres bordering the Baisse Salée and the Saline ponds, covering at least 1.2 ha. Until then, it had only been found at one (former) site in the Hérault Department, and at Salin du Caban, east of
In terms of animals, the temporary ponds are also of primordial interest, for branchiopod crustaceans, odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), and amphibians. In wet springs, they literally teem with animals of kinds: from Triops cancriformis, a real living fossil, to the impressive tadpoles of the Common parsley frog or the Mediterranean/stripeless tree frog, and larvae of Zygoptera (damselflies, close relatives of the dragonflies). In this category, one of the commonest species in the Tour du Valat ponds, although highly threatened in France, is the Dark emerald damselfly or Dark spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma). This attractive damselfly, listed as Vulnerable in Europe by the IUCN, is only found in a few sites in France, along the Atlantic coast, in Corsica, and in the Camargue.
To conserve this natural heritage, it is necessary to maintain the natural hydrological regime of these ponds, characterised by their isolation and long completely parched periods in the summer. Their appearance thus varies immensely in function of precipitation level, ranging from bare cracked soil in late summer to vast flooded areas in wet springs, verdant and teeming with life.
*Habitat type 3170 in the Habitats Directive n° 3170.
Find out more:
Bigot L. 1999 Sur la réponse de Damasonium polyspermum Cosson (Alismataceae) aux variations des conditions édaphoclimatiques, d'après un suivi de 43 ans (1954-1996) dans une mare temporaire de la Tour-du- Valat (Camargue, Bouches-du-Rhône, France). Bull Soc Linn Provence 50 : 83-88 (in French)
Sand dunes border the beach at The Pinery Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.
Pinery Provincial Park was initially reforested with red and white pine trees giving the park its name. However, the area is not naturally a pine forest; the natural ecology is a very rare oak savanna. Only later was the true value of the natural ecology recognized, and the health of the oak savanna is now promoted.
Check out an album containing more of my photos shot in 2000.
Canon FTb
Shot on 135 format Kodak Royal Gold 400 Generation 2 colour negative film.
Scanned using a Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED with the FH-835S 35mm strip film tray.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved. Any use of this work requires my prior written permission.
A conspicuous show of tribal power by Mursi boys with Kalashnikovs. The Kalashnikov symbolizes wealth, status, and power. Above all, it provides protection during cattle drives and fire-power in armed conflicts with neighbouring tribes.
The value of a Kalashnikov can range from five to thirty-five cows and often figures into the bride-wealth or payment made by the husband’s family to the bride's family.
This semi-nomadic pastoral settlement is situated on the upper bank of the Mago River, a tributary that joins the essential Omo River in the remote southwestern corner of Ethiopia.
Shot under the noonday sun near the end of a long hot dry season regularly exceeding 40°C in the shade.
~~~
Postscript on the proliferation of automatic weapons in the region
The rapid increase of automatic weapons and small arms in the lower Omo Valley has fuelled severe cycles of inter-ethnic violence, exacerbated by traditional cattle raids, opportunistic bush sniping, and territorial skirmishes often escalating into broader warfare.
Spears and other traditional weapons in the region were replaced with automatic assault rifles in the 1980s as they became more accessible during the decades-long civil war in neighbouring South Sudan.
A surplus of automatic weapons circulating in the larger Horn of Africa was also accessible through other channels, including a flow of small arms and ammunition from longstanding wars across the borders in Somalia and northern Uganda. SKS and AK-47 assault rifles were easily available, relatively cheap, and easy to use.
Large numbers of automatic weapons were also imported from the USSR to Communist allies around the world during the global Cold War, including Ethiopia. SKS semi-automatic Russian-made rifles were a precursor to the AK-47 and were widely available after the fall of the Derg, the Communist military junta that ruled Ethiopia under Mengistu Haile Mariam from 1974 to 1987.
The consequent disbanding of the Ethiopian army and police force produced a flood of automatic weapons on the market. They became accessible, in part, through established tribal links with arms dealers in the Ethiopian highlands further to the east of the Omo Basin.
The Mursi and Mursiland
Most Mursi live in small settlements dispersed across Mursiland, a remote territory of about thirty by eighty kilometres between the Omo and Mago Rivers in southwestern Ethiopia, a day or two overland to the borders with South Sudan and northern Kenya.
The terrain varies from a volcanic plain dominated by a range of hills and a major watershed to a riverine forest, wooded grasslands and thorny bushland thickets. The climate is harsh and unstable with low rainfall and daily temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C in the shade during the dry season.
The Mursi are semi-nomadic farmers and herders who depend on shifting hoe-cultivation (mostly drought-resistant varieties of sorghum) and cattle herding for their livelihood. They number less than ten thousand today. expl#33
Built c. 1872 at no. 40 Albert Street.
"The Bell-Carlton House, located at 40 Albert Street, is situated on the east side of the street between Martin Avenue and Gordon Street, in the City of Guelph. This two-storey limestone building is reminiscent of the Greek Revival style and was designed and constructed by Matthew Bell circa 1872. The property was designated by the City of Guelph for its historic and architectural value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 1979-10058).
The Bell-Carlton House is significant for its association with Matthew Bell, an accomplished local stone carver and masonry contractor from Newcastle, England. Bell built this house for his family, in circa 1872, although there is a possibility that the frame and central section are of an earlier date. 40 Albert Street is one of a series of notable stone houses Bell constructed, in this area of Guelph, which illustrate his fine sculptural decoration. Bell is responsible for the construction and ornamentation of nearby 49 Albert Street, 96-98 Water Street, and 22-26 Oxford Street. 40 Albert Street, however, was the last stone home Bell would build in the neighbourhood.
The Bell-Carlton House is an example of fine craftsmanship and exquisite detail, as is illustrated in the distinguished scale and proportions of the building. The structure's façade has been enriched with fine sculptural details in stone, including the window lintels, the ornate framing of the central doorway, and the three carved stone heads. Great care has been taken in repairing the masonry and in restoring the original architectural fabric of both the interior and exterior of the Bell-Carlton House. The house received the 1977 Award of Merit from the Guelph Arts Council for the quality of the restoration work which was undertaken." - info from Historic Places.
"Guelph (/ˈɡwɛlf/ GWELF; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly 22 km (14 mi) east of Kitchener and 70 km (43 mi) west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wellington County Road 124. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it.
Guelph began as a settlement in the 1820s, established by John Galt, who was in Upper Canada as the first superintendent of the Canada Company. He based the headquarters, and his home, in the community. The area—much of which became Wellington County—was part of the Halton Block, a Crown reserve for the Six Nations Iroquois. Galt is generally considered Guelph's founder.
For many years, Guelph ranked at or near the bottom of Canada's crime severity list. However, the 2017 index showed a 15% increase from 2016. It had one of the country's lowest unemployment rates throughout the Great Recession. In late 2018, the Guelph Eramosa and Puslinch entity had an unemployment rate of 2.3%, which decreased to 1.9% by January 2019, the lowest of all Canadian cities. (The national rate at the time was 5.8%.) Much of this was attributed to its numerous manufacturing facilities, including Linamar." - info from Wikipedia.
Late June to early July, 2024 I did my 4th major cycling tour. I cycled from Ottawa to London, Ontario on a convoluted route that passed by Niagara Falls. During this journey I cycled 1,876.26 km and took 21,413 photos. As with my other tours a major focus was old architecture.
Find me on Instagram.
A comfortable town centre pub whose current name celebrates the town's long involvement in liquorice manufacture, built probably late 18th C., formerly called the Central then the Tankard, with good value daytime food, and light oak panelled interior.
Derby 'Lightweight' DMU makes a stop at Sellafield in June 1964.
It would seem this is almost certainly a railtour or charter given the number of people milling around.
There is no mention on the SixBellsJuction site but perhaps this is not surprising. An era when all sorts of organisations were organising trips.
Part of the Tom Derringon Collection with photographer unknown.
It is interesting that Value City is still left intact on this sign. It appears that "Value City" is being used for the furniture store that still exists in this shopping center. It appears that this may have been a Schottenstein (once parent company of Value City) developed shopping center.
Eureka and Telegraph Roads - Taylor, Michigan
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Metropolitan Detroit photographer, specializing in Natural Light, Portrait, Boudoir, Sports and Event photography
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Canon Sure Shot Max, Tri-X Film
Image ©Philip Krayna, BoxxCarr, all rights reserved. This image is not in the public domain. Please contact me for permission to download, license, reproduce, or otherwise use this image, or to just say "hello". I value your input and comments. See more at www.boxxcarr.com.
My loyalty is with Flickr. But, you can also see me on Instagram. Follow me: @dyslexsyk
Some of my old medals I got while living in Europe with Father and his wife. The medals are for participating in VolksMarches that benefit the European Red Cross which is a 5K / 10K march/hike. The hikes were usually in the beautiful Bavarian Mountains and Alps. The title of this photo "values instilled.." reflects the value traits father instilled within me at a young age; to get involved in events that benefit our community. Must have worked, I still do community events to this day, that are similar, as in my 5K / 10K Benefit Runs that support several charities. My Father and his Wife would do the hikes with me, or my Nanny with wonderful lasting memories.
The Nissan Bluebird is a well built and reliable car, yet they have become so rare. I suppose corrosion, low values and the fact many were mini-cabbed to death have not helped their survival rates in the UK. I also hear that they are popular with banger racers. This high spec example looks to be well looked after and should survive many more years living in the sheltered streets of South London. Previously spotted by a couple of other Flickr car spotters.
Mileage in between MOTs - 1,765 Miles
Mileage at last MOT - 93,509 Miles
Last Ownership Change - 21st December 1999
G822 PWV
✓ Taxed
Tax due: 01 September 2018
✓ MOT
Expires: 30 August 2018
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermere
Buttermere is a lake in the English Lake District in North West England. The adjacent village of Buttermere takes its name from the lake. Historically in Cumberland, the lake is now within the county of Cumbria. It is owned by the National Trust, forming part of their Buttermere and Ennerdale property.
Geography
The lake is 1.25 miles (2,010 m) by .25 miles (400 m) wide, and is 75 feet (23 m) deep.[1] It has an elevation above sea level of 329 feet (100 m). A place of considerable scenic value, it is situated towards the head of the valley of the River Cocker and is surrounded by fells, notably the High Stile range to the south west, Robinson to the north east, Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks to the south east and Grasmoor to the north west.
The village of Buttermere stands at the north western end of the lake, and beyond this is Buttermere's twin, Crummock Water. There is a path around the lake which is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, and at one point runs through a rock tunnel beneath the locality of Hassness. Access is by road, from Cockermouth in the north west; from Borrowdale via the Honister Pass; or from Braithwaite and the Newlands Valley via Newlands Hause.
Etymology
There are two possible origins for the name "Buttermere":
One, that Buttermere means "the lake by the dairy pastures" (from the Old English "butere mere"). Whaley suggests this as the correct interpretation: " 'butter lake, the lake with good pasture-land', from OE 'butere' 'butter', conveying the fertile nature of the flat alluvial land at both ends of the lake, plus 'mere' 'lake',..."[2]
Two, that it is the corrupt form of a personal name. Robert Ferguson asserts in his 1866 work, "The Northmen in Cumberland and Westmoreland" that Buttermere derives from the Old Norse personal name "Buthar", as in "Buthar's mere" (lake). This accords with local tradition, which says that the valley of Buttermere was part of the holdings of an 11th-century Norse chieftain called "Buthar" (sometimes spelt "Boethar"). Large numbers of Vikings settled in the Cumbrian area during the 9th and 10th centuries and many names in the area are of Norse origin: streams are termed 'becks', from the Old Norse bekkr; mountains are 'fells', from the Norse fjall; waterfalls are forces, from fos; ravines are 'gills'; valleys are 'dales', from dalr (ON); and small lakes are termed 'tarns', which derives from tjorn, meaning teardrop. Whaley suggests that the personal name interpretation is incorrect, but notes that the Victoria County History "deemed it 'not disputed that the family of the Scotic ruler, Bueth or Boet, held its own against the Norman intruder', with possession of the barony of Gillesland, for fifty years after the Norman Conquest."[2][3]
See article on Buttermere at the English Lakes.com website.
History
From his hidden stronghold at Buttermere, it is said that Jarl Buthar conducted a campaign of running resistance against the Norman invaders, from the time of William the Conqueror's Harrying of the North in 1069 right up until the early 12th century. In 1072 King William set up a garrison at Carlisle, but the isolated garrison needed constant reinforcement and supplies. It is claimed that the Cumbrians fought a guerrilla war against the Normans for almost half a century, attacking supply wagons, ambushing patrols and inflicting great losses upon them in terms of money, matériel and men.
The extent to which Jarl Buthar is a semi-mythological figure is unclear. He is apparently mentioned in 12th century Norman documents, but much of his story appears to be based on local legend and archaeology, later enhanced by Nicholas Size's popular dramatised history (see below).
Jarl Boethar's campaign and a final battle at Rannerdale (c.f. Ferguson, "Ragnar's dale") between the Normans and the Anglo-Scandinavian Cumbrians led by the Jarl is the subject of a dramatised history by Nicholas Size, called "The Secret Valley: The Real Romance of Unconquered Lakeland" (pub. 1930)
Rosemary Sutcliff's YA novel "Shield Ring" (pub. 1956) imagines the lives of Jarl Buthar and his band of Cumbrian rebels, and their last stand against the forces of a Norman army under the command of Ranulf le Meschin, Lord of Carlisle and later Earl of Chester, nearly 50 years after the 1066 Norman Conquest of England. It was clearly inspired by Nicholas Size's history, which it closely follows.
Mary Robinson (1778–1837), known as the "Maid of Buttermere" and the subject of Melvyn Bragg's novel of that name, was the daughter of the landlord of the Fish Inn in Buttermere village.
This was taken at my son Joseph's wedding last weekend. The raucous and very fun event took place at Henderson's Brewery in Toronto.
Canon EOS 5D MkIV. 16mm lens.
Image ©Philip Krayna, BoxxCarr, all rights reserved. This image is not in the public domain. Please contact me for permission to download, license, reproduce, or otherwise use this image, or to just say "hello". I value your input and comments. See more at www.boxxcarr.com.
CC Most Versatile: Leading Line
At Winco discount supermarket, they don't advertise special sales. Instead, the Wall of Values showcases sale items as it leads into the store.
Park Life
Link to the video:
Today we have part one of the abandoned $6.5 milllion dollar mansion that I like to call Park Life. Other explorers have named it The Titanic Staircase Mansion due to the staircase just inside the front entry that has a similar look to the one in the movie Titanic.
Nestled within one of Canada's most prestigious neighbourhoods ,this mansion has been on and off the market many times over the last two decades and most of those instances the home was removed without a buyer. The last time it sold was many years ago and it was for only $2 million dollars, since then it has been listed many more times with the list price increasing gradually over the years. It has been off the market and abandoned for a while now and as you will see in the video is heavily vandalised and will definitely be demolished at some point in time.
Listed as having 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a 15 car driveway and being 5000 sqft plus, this is by no means a small home. In 2012 there was an auction being held to sell the house and some of its contents. The items for sale were set up in tents, the priciest of pieces being a blue Hermès Birkin bag, a $1-million strand of South Sea pearls, and an area rug designed by Versace. The South Sea pearls sold for a fraction of their value when new for just $70,000. The home and the land that it sits on (which is the true value of the address) would not have gone for less than $5 million and failed to sell at the auction.
©James Hackland
...coming to terms with the abstract............
A little Guarani girl embraces a dead rat in her own innocent way.
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Jewellery: F I N E S M I T H- Aesthetic Value- Fusion
Skin: NAVI Skin - Female (by Unique Megstore)
Hair: .:EMO-tions:. * WINDBLOWN III * flames
( Picture and set by me)
The Summer Palace (Chinese: 頤和園), is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (万寿山) and Kunming Lake (昆明湖), it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.
Longevity Hill is about 60 meters (200 feet) high and has many buildings positioned in sequence. The front hill is rich with splendid halls and pavilions, while the back hill, in sharp contrast, is quiet with natural beauty. The central Kunming Lake, covering 2.2 square kilometers (540 acres), was entirely man-made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.
In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value".
The origins of the Summer Palace date back to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in 1153, when the fourth ruler, Wanyan Liang (r. 1150–1161), moved the Jin capital from Huining Prefecture (in present-day Acheng District, Harbin, Heilongjiang) to Yanjing (present-day Beijing). He ordered the construction of a palace in the Fragrant Hills and Jade Spring Hill in the northwest of Beijing.
Around 1271, after the Yuan dynasty established its capital in Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), the engineer Guo Shoujing initiated a waterworks project to direct the water from Shenshan Spring (神山泉) in Baifu Village (白浮村), Changping into the Western Lake (西湖), which would later become Kunming Lake. Guo's aim was to create a water reservoir that would ensure a stable water supply for the palace.
In 1494, the Hongzhi Emperor (r. 1487–1505) of the Ming dynasty had a Yuanjing Temple (圓靜寺) built for his wet nurse, Lady Luo, in front of Jar Hill (瓮山), which was later renamed Longevity Hill. The temple fell into disrepair over the years and was abandoned, and the area around the hill became lush with vegetation. The Zhengde Emperor (r. 1505–21), who succeeded the Hongzhi Emperor, built a palace on the banks of the Western Lake and turned the area into an imperial garden. He renamed Jar Hill, "Golden Hill" (金山) and named the lake "Golden Sea" (金海). Both the Zhengde Emperor and the Wanli Emperor (r. 1572–1620) enjoyed taking boat rides on the lake. During the reign of the Tianqi Emperor (r. 1620–27), the court eunuch Wei Zhongxian took the imperial garden as his personal property.
Qing dynasty
In the early Qing dynasty, Jar Hill served as the site for horse stables in the imperial palace. Eunuchs who committed offences were sent there to weed and cut grass.
In the beginning of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796), many imperial gardens were built in the area around present-day Beijing's Haidian District and accordingly, water consumption increased tremendously. At the time, much of the water stored in the Western Lake came from the freshwater spring on Jade Spring Hill, while a fraction came from the Wanquan River (萬泉河). Any disruption of the water flow from Jade Spring Hill would affect the capital's water transport and water supply systems.
Around 1749, the Qianlong Emperor decided to build a palace in the vicinity of Jar Hill and the Western Lake to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing. In the name of improving the capital's waterworks system, he ordered the Western Lake to be expanded further west to create two more lakes, Gaoshui Lake (高水湖) and Yangshui Lake (養水湖). The three lakes served not only as a reservoir for the imperial gardens, but also a source of water for the surrounding agricultural areas. The Qianlong Emperor collectively named the three lakes "Kunming Lake" after the Kunming Pool (昆明池) constructed by Emperor Wu (r. 141–187 BCE) in the Han dynasty for the training of his navy. The earth excavated from the expansion of Kunming Lake was used to enlarge Jar Hill, which was renamed "Longevity Hill". The Summer Palace, whose construction was completed in 1764 at a cost of over 4.8 million silver taels, was first named "Qingyiyuan" (清漪園; "Gardens of Clear Ripples"").
The design of the Summer Palace was based on a legend in Chinese mythology about three divine mountains in the East Sea, namely Penglai, Fangzhang (方丈) and Yingzhou (瀛洲). The three islands in Kunming Lake – Nanhu Island (南湖島), Tuancheng Island (團城島) and Zaojiantang Island (藻鑒堂島) – were built to represent the three mountains, while the lake itself was based on a blueprint of the West Lake in Hangzhou. Besides, many architectural features in the palace were also built to resemble or imitate various attractions around China. For example: the Phoenix Pier (鳳凰墩) represented Lake Tai; the Jingming Tower (景明樓) resembled Yueyang Tower, Hunan; the Wangchan Pavilion (望蟾閣) resembled Yellow Crane Tower; the shopping streets were designed to imitate those in Suzhou and Yangzhou. The centrepiece of the Summer Palace was the "Great Temple of Gratitude and Longevity" (大報恩延壽寺). There was also a Long Corridor more than 700 metres long which was furnished with artistic decorations. As the palace was not equipped with facilities for long-term staying and daily administration of state affairs, the Qianlong Emperor hardly lived there and only remained there for the day whenever he visited it.
As the Qing Empire started declining after the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850), the Summer Palace gradually became more neglected and the architectural features on the three islands were ordered to be dismantled because the costs of maintenance were too high.
In 1860, the French and British looted the Summer Palace at the end of the Second Opium War and on October 18, 1860 the British burned down the nearby Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan). The destruction of the palace was ordered by Lord Elgin, the British High Commissioner to China, and was undertaken in response to the torture and killing of two British envoys, a journalist for The Times, and their escorts. The destruction of large parts of the Summer Palace still evokes strong emotions among some people in China.
Between 1884–95, during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908), Empress Dowager Cixi ordered 22 million silver taels, originally designated for upgrading the Qing navy (the Beiyang Fleet), to be used for reconstructing and enlarging the Summer Palace to celebrate her 60th birthday. As the funds were limited, the construction works were concentrated on the buildings in front of Longevity Hill and the dams around Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace was also given its present-day Chinese name, "Yiheyuan" (頤和園), in 1888.
In 1900, towards the end of the Boxer Rebellion, the Summer Palace suffered damaged again when the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance destroyed the imperial gardens and seized many artifacts stored in the palace. The palace was restored two years later.
Post-Qing dynasty
In 1912, following the abdication of Puyi, the Last Emperor, the Summer Palace became the private property of the former imperial family of the Qing Empire. Two years later, the Summer Palace was opened to the public and entry tickets were sold. In 1924, after Puyi was expelled from the Forbidden City by the warlord Feng Yuxiang, the Beijing municipal government took charge of administrating the Summer Palace and turned it into a public park.
After 1949, the Summer Palace briefly housed the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China. Many of Mao Zedong's friends and key figures in the Communist Party, such as Liu Yazi and Jiang Qing, also lived there. Since 1953, many major restoration and renovation works have been done on the Summer Palace, which is now open to the public as a tourist attraction and park.
In November 1998, the Summer Palace was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Towards the end of 2006, the Chinese government also started distributing commemorative coins to celebrate the Summer Palace as a cultural relic of the world.
The entire Summer Palace is centred around Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, with the latter covering about three quarters of the area. Most of the important buildings were built along the north–south axis of Longevity Hill, which is divided into the front hill and the back hill. There are three small islands within Kunming Lake: Nanhu Island, Zaojiantang Island and Zhijingge Island. The West Dam of Kunming Lake divides the lake into two. The East Dam was constructed during the reign of the Guangxu Emperor. The attractions in the Summer Palace may be divided into six different sections or scenic areas: the Halls, Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake, the Farming and Weaving Picture Scenic Area, the Long Corridor, and the Central Axis area.
Dragon boats at Summer Palace.jpg
Front Hill
Eastern Palace Gate (东宫门): The main entrance to the Summer Palace. The two bronze lions on either side of the gate are preserved from the Qianlong Emperor's time while the Cloud Dragon Steps in front of the gate are relics from the Old Summer Palace. The three Chinese characters "Yiheyuan" on the sign above the gate were written by the Guangxu Emperor.
Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (仁寿殿): The hall where court sessions were held. It was called "Hall of Good Governance" (勤政殿) in the Qianlong Emperor's time but was given its present-day name by the Guangxu Emperor. The well north of the hall is called "Year-Prolonging Well" (延年井) while the rockery behind the hall was designed to imitate the Lion Grove Garden in Suzhou. The stalactites are relics from the Old Summer Palace.
Hall of Jade Billows (玉澜堂): Located west of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. It was the living quarters of the Qing emperors. The Guangxu Emperor was once confined here by Empress Dowager Cixi.
Yiyun Hall (宜芸馆): Located north of the Hall of Jade Billows. It was originally a library in the Qianlong Emperor's time, but became the living quarters of Empress Longyu in the Guangxu Emperor's time. It housed a collection of stone carvings of calligraphy written by the Qianlong Emperor.
Dehe Garden (德和园): Houses the three-storey Great Opera Hall (大戲樓), where opera performances were staged.
Hall of Joy and Longevity (乐寿堂): The living quarters of Empress Dowager Cixi.
Long Corridor (长廊): Stretches from the Hall of Joy and Longevity in the east to Shizhang Pavilion in the west. The entire corridor is 728 metres long and contains artistic decorations, including paintings of famous places in China, and scenes from Chinese mythology and folktales, The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars and the Four Great Classical Novels.
Hall of Dispelling Clouds (排云殿): Situated on the centre of the central axis of Longevity Hill. Originally the Great Temple of Gratitude and Longevity (大報恩延壽寺), it was renovated in 1892 and became a place for Empress Dowager Cixi to receive guests, host grand ceremonies, and celebrate her birthday.
Buddhist Temple at Summer Palace.jpg
Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁): Located right in the centre of the front hill of Longevity Mountain. The tower was originally meant to be a nine-storey Buddhist pagoda built to resemble the Yellow Crane Tower. The Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction to be stopped just after the eighth storey was built. The tower was built on a 20-metre-tall stone base, measures three stories and 41 metres in height, and is supported by eight ironwood pillars. Empress Dowager Cixi visited the tower to offer incense and pray.
Sea of Wisdom (智慧海): Located on the peak of Longevity Hill. It was built from coloured glass and houses over 1,000 statues of Buddhist figures. It was partially damaged during the Cultural Revolution.
Stele of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake (万寿山昆明湖碑; Wànshòushān Kūnmínghú Bēi): Located east of the Hall of Dispelling Clouds. The stele bears six Chinese characters written by the Qianlong Emperor.
Pavilion of Precious Clouds (宝云阁): Located west of the Tower of Buddhist Incense. It was originally called "Bronze Pavilion" (銅亭) and was built in 1755. The doors and windows were stolen by soldiers from the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900. In the 1980s, they were purchased by overseas Chinese and donated back to the Summer Palace.
Stone Boat (石舫): The Stone Boat is 96 metres long. The original wooden boat was burnt in 1860 and has been replaced with a marble copy with western style paddle wheels.
Oriole-Listening Hall (听鹂馆): Located west of Longevity Hill. It used to be where Empress Dowager Cixi watched opera performancees. The hall is now converted into a restaurant specialising in Qing imperial cuisine.
Huazhongyou (画中游): Located west of Longevity Hill.
East of the Front Hill (前山东部; 前山東部): Has many pavilions and halls.
West of the Front Hill (前山西部): Has many pavilions and halls.
West of the Long Corridor (长廊西端; Chángláng Xīduān): There is a "West Four Hall" (西四廳) located north of Shizhang Pavilion. The Guangxu Emperor's Consort Zhen was confined in the hall by Empress Dowager Cixi. It used to be the west entrance into the Summer Palace during the Qianlong Emperor's time.
Back Hill
Suzhou Street (苏州街): In 1762, after returning from touring the Jiangnan region, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the construction of a shopping street resembling Shantang Street in Suzhou. The street was destroyed by the British and French in 1860 and was only restored in 1988.
Garden of Harmonious Pleasures (谐趣园): Located in the northeast corner of the Summer Palace. In 1751, when the Qianlong Emperor toured the Jiangnan region, he was so impressed with Jichang Garden in Wuxi that he ordered a Huishan Garden (惠山園) to be built in the Summer Palace and modelled after Jichang Garden. Huishan Garden was renamed "Xiequ Garden" in 1811.
Four Great Regions (四大部洲): Located on the centre of the central axis of the back hill. It was designed to resemble the Samye Monastery in Tibet, and houses statues of Bhaisajyaguru, the Buddha and Amitābha. It was destroyed by the British and French in 1860 but was restored later.
Flower Pavilion and Glass Tower (花承阁琉璃塔): Located east of the back hill. It was destroyed by the British and French in 1860; only the Glass Tower remains. During the Cultural Revolution, the Buddhist statue at the bottom of the tower was disfigured by the Red Guards.
Former Location of Gaichunyuan (赅春园遗址): Located west of the back hill. A small garden was built there during the Qianlong Emperor's time and the emperor also had his personal study room there. Gaichunyuan was mostly destroyed by the British and French in 1860.
Former Location of Qiwang Pavilion (绮望轩遗址): Located west of the back hill beside the lake. A small garden was built there during the Qianlong Emperor's time.
Eastern Dam
Zhichun Pavilion (知春亭): Located on the east bank of Kunming Lake at the south of the Hall of Jade Billows.
Wenchang Tower (文昌阁): Built to resemble a city gate. It served as an important entry point into the Summer Palace from the east and south during the Qianlong Emperor's time. The Wenchang Hall (文昌院) beside Wenchang Tower displays cultural artefacts from the Summer Palace.
Kuoru Pavilion (廓如亭): Situated in the middle of the eastern dam, east of the 17 Openings Bridge. It covered an area of 130 square metres.
Bronze Ox (铜牛): A bronze statue of an ox built in 1755.
Yelü Chucai Shrine (耶律楚材词): A shrine built by the Qianlong Emperor to commemorate Yelü Chucai, an influential statesman in the Mongol Empire. It was closed down after 2003 and its front section was converted into a souvenir shop.
Nanhu Island
17-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥): Has 17 different types of arches on it. It incorporates features of the Precious Belt Bridge in Suzhou and the Lugou Bridge in Beijing. The entire bridge is 150 metres long and eight metres wide.
Dragon King Temple (龙王庙; 龍王廟o): A temple built to worship the Dragon King.
Hanxu Hall (涵虚堂; 涵虛堂): Located at the north of Nanhu Island, directly facing the Tower of Buddhist Incense on the north bank.
Western Dam
Lake Dividing Bridge (界湖桥; 界湖橋): The bridge that separates Kunming Lake from the northern lake.
Jade Belt Bridge (玉带桥; 玉帶橋)
Binfeng Bridge (豳风桥; 豳風橋)
Jingming Tower (景明楼; 景明樓): It was destroyed by the British and French in 1860 and was restored only in 1992. It was designed to imitate Yueyang Tower.
Mirror Bridge (镜桥; 鏡橋)
White Silk Bridge (练桥; 練橋)
Willow Bridge (柳桥; 柳橋): Located most south of the western dam.
Farming and Weaving Picture Scenic Area (耕织图景区; 耕織圖景區): Built during the Qianlong Emperor's time, it was designed to bring to life a scene from the daily lives of peasants. This area was excluded from the Summer Palace after it was renovated by Empress Dowager Cixi. In 1949, the area was occupied by the People's Liberation Army and a paper-making factory was built there. In 2003, the area was incorporated back into the Summer Palace and some old buildings were restored.
from Wikipedia