Picture the Xiyang Lou. Imagine yourself standing before its ruins. The very stones whisper tales of imperial grandeur. They speak of a time when the Qianlong Emperor commissioned these magnificent structures. This wasn’t just any building project. This was a collaboration. Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione provided the designs. He drew inspiration from the French Grand Trianon. His vision blended seamlessly with Chinese craftsmanship.
The Xiyang Lou wasn’t a single building. It was a sprawling complex. Think of elaborate fountains. Visualize cascading waters. Imagine intricate waterworks. These were the heart of the Xiyang Lou. The Xieqiqu waterworks were a marvel of engineering. The basins featured floral layouts. Bronze waterspouts shaped like animals adorned them. Water flowed from a water tower. A mule-drawn water wheel powered it all.
The Huanghuazhen labyrinth was another highlight. It was a maze of embossed-brick walls. The emperor himself used to watch his concubines race through this labyrinth. They carried yellow lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival. A circular European-style pavilion sat at its heart. He would watch from there.
Beyond the waterworks and the maze were other stunning structures. The Yangquelong gateway boasted aviaries. The Fangwai Guan mansion featured European-style landscape paintings. Some were by Jean Denis Attiret. Others were designed by Castiglione himself. It is said a Uyghur concubine favored by the emperor frequented this building. Tablets inscribed in Arabic once adorned its walls. They disappeared in the early 20th century. The Haiyan Tang Hall of National Peace contained a magnificent fountain. It was also known as the Water Clock. Twelve bronze waterspouts in the shape of human bodies with animal heads marked it. Each activated every two hours.
Sadly much of the Xiyang Lou’s beauty was lost. Anglo-French forces destroyed it in 1860. They set fire to the Old Summer Palace. The Xiyang Lou was part of that destruction. Yet even in ruins the Xiyang Lou speaks volumes. Its legacy survives. Conservation work between 1977 and 1992 restored some parts. The Huanghuazhen labyrinth was rebuilt. The Xiyang Lou stands as a testament. It represents a unique blend of European and Chinese architectural styles. It reminds us of a bygone era. It shows the brilliance of the Qianlong Emperor’s vision. The Xiyang Lou is more than ruins. It is living history.