New Yuan Ming Palace



Covering an area of 1.4 square kilometer, the New Yuan Ming Palace is a reproduction of the imperial
Yuan Ming Yuan in Beijing, one of the favorite gardens of the late emperors of the Qing dynasty. In its
heyday, the old palace, which had been built up over a period of about 150 years from its initial
construction in 1707, consisted of three different gardens, the Garden of Perfect Brightness proper, the
Elegant Spring Garden, and the Garden of Eternal Spring. It was burnt down and completely destroyed
by British and French troops in 1860.

In the construction, near 2,000 skillful artisans and craftsmen, literature and history experts, artists,
sculptors from the country have been working hard and intelligently for the Palace. The New Yuan Ming
Palace incorporates a classical Chinese royal palace complex and a classical Chinese garden
complex, as well as a smattering of European-inspired buildings, as did the old palace. The New Summer Palace thus aims to be a showcase on
the elegance, talent, and openness of the Qing Dynasty at the pinnacle of its wealth and power. It recovered numerous scenic spots in their old
construction style combined with modern features, including the complex of royal palaces, Fuhai Lake, Royal Food Street and shops in different
types.

The new palace's European style buildings recall the splendor of the old palace's European-style palatial buildings, with their richly adorned
exteriors and their towering interior walls of white marble. The sight of these magnificent buildings, both inside and out, transport the visitor to the
court of a European monarch during the late 17th or early 18th century, for example that of the French king, Louis XIV.

In the evening, there is always a great show at a big outdoor theatre behind the Lama Temple which can hold
as many as 5,000 people. The show is made up of several episodes including an Accession to the Throne,
Concubine Picking and Burning down of the Palace. There is also a nice restaurant in the park where you can
find some 'imperial Qing food'.

The New Yuanming Palace is a rare imitation of an ancient tourism attraction, assembles Chinese, Western,
history, tourism and commercial culture as a whole. Its existence adds a scenery of enchanting beauty to
Zhuhai City; it provides an important base for Chinese patriotism education as well.