The long
Corridor actually is a covered walkway 728 meters long with 273 sections.
It was
first built in 1750 for Qianlong's mother to enjoy the scenes of the
lake in rainy days.
In 1860,
the long corridor was destroyed by Anglo French Allied Forces. Itwas
rebuilt after the original pattern at the end of the 19 century.
This art
gallery starts from Yaoyuemen (Greeting the Moon Gate)
in the east and ends near the Marble Boat in the west,
with the Gate of Dispelling Clouds standing in the center. There are
four octagonal pavilions in between, symbolizing the four seasons.
Paintings
on the beams of Long Corridor
There are more than 8,000 paintings on the beams of the long corridor,
making it a real art gallery. These colorful paintings can be divided
into four categories: human figures and stories, landscapes, flowers
and birds, and architecture. Among these the most fascinating part
is certainly the 200 odd paintings depicting historical figures, folk
and fairy stories and scenes from traditional operas. These works
cover thousands of years of Chinese history. The majority of the landscape
paintings were
done under the order of Emperor Qianlong, who preferred the scenery
of South China.
was
first built in 1750 for Qianlong's mother to enjoy the scenes of the
lake in rainy days.