The Chengde Summer Resort and the Palace Museum were once inseparable in the history of the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing, spanning over 150 years, the resort was known as the “Summer Palace”.
The Summer Resort is characterized by its simplicity and elegance, embracing the essence of natural landscapes, making it the largest existing imperial garden in the world. As such, the Summer Resort and the Palace Museum are regarded as the epitome of the intersection and resonance of historical and cultural heritages. Particularly during the Qianlong era, Emperor Hongli and the entire imperial court spent almost more than five months every year at the Summer Resort, leading to the conduction of imperial affairs, guest receptions, ethnic and diplomatic matters, among others, mostly taking place there. Consequently, a vast collection of treasures from the Palace Museum also made their way to Chengde.
As two centers of politics and court life in the Qing Dynasty, the Forbidden City and the Summer Resort both historically housed a vast collection of self-striking clocks, which shared the same origin and were indistinguishable from each other. In the exhibition, the paired clocks of the same design were surprisingly displayed together, marking the “reunion” of the brotherly clocks that had been separated for centuries.
The “reunion” of clocks and the “return” of imperial seals, these treasures jointly bear witness to the historical ties between the Summer Resort and the Forbidden City, as well as the changes of dynasties and the passage of time. Today, in this serene space, they have gathered once again, allowing us the privilege of listening to those dusty tales and feeling the weight and warmth of history.
