Lingering by the tranquil waters of the Houhu Lake lets me narrate a captivating story about Ciyunpu Hu.
Ciyunpu Hu was one of the famed forty scenes of the Old Summer Palace. This landscape garden was a temple complex. It offered scenic beauty. Imagine it环山带水 It was nestled on the northern bank of the Houhu Lake. Its dimensions spanned 120 meters north to south and 90 meters east to west.
Emperor Qianlong often visited Ciyunpu Hu. He went there to offer incense and worship Buddha. Ciyunpu Hu, built during the Kangxi period, was initially known as Yan Miao. Prince Yong esteemed Buddhism greatly. As a prince and emperor, he often resided in the Old Summer Palace. Yan Miao or Ciyunpu Hu was likely constructed for his daily worship.
先生方晓风认为，圆明园慈云普护的布局相对自由，不强调轴线和院落空间，体现园林化特征. Fang Xiaofeng believed that the layout of Ciyunpu Hu in the Old Summer Palace was relatively free. It did not emphasize the axis and courtyard space. It reflected the characteristics of the garden.
《圆明园百景图志》介绍了慈云普护的建筑形式陈设布置及其功能. The “Picture Records of the Hundred Scenes of the Old Summer Palace” introduced Ciyunpu Hu’s architectural form, furnishing layout, and functions. 清帝居住圆明园期间总要频频前往慈云普护礼佛. It pointed out that when the Qing emperors lived in the Old Summer Palace, they would frequently go to Ciyunpu Hu to worship Buddha. 清代档案材料和清帝御制诗文分析，以探讨这一景观的宗教意涵及其具体功能. It lacks meticulous analysis and elaboration on the religious connotations and specific functions of this landscape. 清帝的精神世界和园居生活. This article attempts to analyze the Qing Dynasty archives and the Qing Emperor’s poems to explore these issues. This would recognize the spiritual world and garden life of the Qing Emperors from a new perspective.
康熙四十六年 1707 清圣祖将北京西郊的一处园林——圆明园 赐予皇四子胤禛. In the forty-sixth year of Kangxi 1707 , the Holy Ancestor of Qing bestowed a garden in the western suburbs of Beijing—the Old Summer Palace—to the fourth son of the emperor, Yinzhen. 圆明园最初之景观便包括 “慈云普护”，不过当时称为“澄漪阁”. The initial landscape of the Old Summer Palace included “Ciyunpu Hu.” However, it was called “Chengyi Pavilion” at that time. 胤禛为藩王时，作 《园景十二咏》，吟咏圆明园初建之时的 12 处景观. When Yinzhen was a prince, he wrote “Twelve Songs of Garden Scenery.” This chanted the 12 landscapes of the Old Summer Palace when it was first built.
清圣祖去世后，胤禛凭借睿智和权谋成功入继大统，是为清世宗. After the death of the Holy Ancestor of Qing, Yinzhen successfully inherited the統 through wisdom and strategy. He was the Qing Shizong. 世宗本人常常在圆明园生活起居，处理政事，该园遂扩建升格为御园. Shizong himself often lived and handled government affairs in the Old Summer Palace. The garden was expanded and upgraded to an imperial garden. 胤禛登基之后，大力兴建和修缮庙宇，采取一系列优待佛教徒的措施. After Yinzhen ascended the throne, he vigorously built and renovated temples and took a series of measures to favor Buddhists. “澄漪阁”经过扩建，后来改名为“慈云普护”. “Chengyi Pavilion” was expanded and later renamed “Ciyunpu Hu.”
Ciyunpu Hu faced the Houhu Lake. Across the lake to the south was the Qing Emperor’s寢宫，Jiuzhou Qing晏. This scenic spot consisted of the Joyous Buddha Site Ciyunpu Hu the Ziming Bell Tower and the Zhaofu Dragon King Palace. It was one of the temples where the Qing emperors often came to burn incense and worship Buddha in their gardens.
The architectural complex included the Hall of Guanyin. It also had the Hall of Guandi. The architectural style reflected the elegance of the Tang Dynasty. A three-story building housed a clepsydra. There were statues of Guanyin and Guandi.
Ciyunpu Hu embodies a rich tapestry of history. It represents the Qing emperors’ spiritual life. It highlights their devotion to Buddhism and their connection to the natural world.