Revolving
Archive
is located to the east of the Tower of Buddhist Incense. This group
of
buildings consists of the main building, side pavilions and a large
stone tablet bearing the inscription "Longevity Hill, Kunming
Lake", about 10 meters high, in Emperor Qianlong's handwriting.
Architecture
In each side pavilion, there is an octagonal wooden tower on which the
Buddhist scriptures were placed. The tower revolved about a central
axis controlled by a mechanism below.
Announcing
the function
This group of buildings was where the emperors and empresses kept copies
of Confucian classics, Buddhist scriptures and Buddha portraits, and
it was also the place where they chanted scriptures and prayed. When
emperors and empresses came to chant scriptures and pray, they just
turned the tower, turning the switch once symbolizing chanting scriptures
once. Hence the name "Revolving Archive."
of
buildings consists of the main building, side pavilions and a large
stone tablet bearing the inscription "Longevity Hill, Kunming
Lake", about 10 meters high, in Emperor Qianlong's handwriting.