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Several promotional activities are taking place at the royal gardens at the Summer Palace in Beijing’s Haidian district, during the “Royal gardens tourism festival” organized by the Haidian tourism bureau.
The royal gardens have a rich cultural heritage and have been transformed into a world famous tourist destination, and a cultural name card for Beijing’s Haidian district.
Most of these gardens - constructed during the Emperor Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) -- are testimony to Beijing’s history, and are seen as a sort of treasure trove for China’s culture.
The gardens included in the festival are “Three Mountains and Five Gardens” - Jingyi Garden on Xiangshan Mountain, Jingming Garden on Yuquan Mountain, Qingyi Garden on Wanshou Mountain (today’s Summer Palace), Changchun Garden, and Yuanming Garden.
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The opening ceremony of “Royal gardens tourism festival” on May 23rd features a classic performance of Kunqu opera at the Summer Palace’s Dehe Garden, that was completely renovated last year. |
The opening ceremony on May 23rd featured a classic performance of Kunqu opera at the Summer Palace’s Dehe Garden, that was completely renovated last year.
Stage performances used to be an important part of imperial life in the Qing dynasty, and Peking opera and imperial performances are being staged during the festival, and an exhibition titled “Cixi and Stage Performances Instruments and Paraphernalia in Summer Palace” is also being held. Empress Dowager Cixi was a powerful woman who unofficially but effectively controlled the Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years, from 1861 to her death in 1908.
In addition to stage performances, Qing imperial food is also a highlight of the festival. Restaurants in Beijing that specialize in imperial cuisine are offering discounts to customers, and members of the public are encouraged to share their stories about imperial cuisine on Weibo, China's largest Twitter-like service.
Keeping fit also plays a part in the festival, and visitors will have the chance to participate in traditional Chinese sports in the imperial gardens. In addition, on June 1 and 2, the International Nordic Waking Federation’s China branch will introduce Nordic Walking to visitors. According to the federation’s official website, “Nordic Walking is a form of physical activity, where to regular natural walking there has been added the active use of a pair of specially designed Nordic Walking poles.
The organizing committee also unveiled seven special tourist itineraries which will allow visitors to enjoy the best parts of the gardens.
