Kunming
lake was originally calledWengshan Lake. In 1749, Emperor
Qianlong ordered the construction of Qingyi Garden, the predecessor
of the Summer Palace. Involving nearly 10,000 laborers, the lake was
expanded and turned into a peach-shaped reservoir, the first of its
kind for Beijing.
From 1990
to 1991 , the Beijing Municipal Government ordered the first dredging
of the lake in 240 years. Involving 200,000 men and hundreds of dredgers
and other tools, a total of 652,600 cubic meters of sludge was dredged
and 205 bombs dropped by the Japanese during the Anti-Japanese War were
removed.
The Western
Causeway and a shorter dike divide Kunming Lake into three areas that
contain South Lake Island, Seaweed-Viewing Island and Circle City Island.
The three islands represent three mountains in ancient Chinese mythology,
i.e. Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou.
This
peculiar method of incorporating a lake and three mountains within
a single garden was a brainchild of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty
more than 2,000 years ago, bearing testimony to feudal monarchs' longing
for longevity. As the legend goes many heavenly elixirs grew on the
three mythical islands. Using artificial building techniques, the
ancient Chinese built this masterpiece based on the myth to make the
mythical one appear to be accessible to humans.
Boat
cruising
The Summer Palace set a precedent for sightseeing by boat. There used
to be a large imperial flotilla, of which the "Kunming Merry
Dragon" was the most famous. It was destroyed by the Anglo-French
allied forces in 1860. To make the tour of the Summer Place a more
pleasant one, a large pleasure boat "Tai
He" (Supreme Harmony) was
built. This double-decked boat is 37.09 meters long, 8.59 meters wide
and 10.49 meters high. It can travel at a speed of 9 kilometer per
hour.
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