Beijing Opens Qianlong’s Secret Garden After 100 Years
Chinese history finds a new, quiet page inside the Forbidden City. The Qianlong Garden reopened to the public on September 30 this autumn after about 25 years of careful work. Now you can walk through two of its four courtyards and see an emperor’s private space.
Qianlong Garden Reopens
The site dates to the 1770s and served as a private retreat for Emperor Qianlong. The reopening is part of a larger revival of the Palace Museum. Major restoration work began in the early 2000s and opened more of the site to the public over time.
The Palace Museum led a 25-year repair project with the World Monuments Fund. The team rebuilt roofs, restored murals, and set water channels back in place. The work cost about $15–18 million. The reopening is tied to the museum’s 100th anniversary. Chinese leadership praised the effort as care for the national heritage.
Why It Matters
You see real pieces of the past. The rooms hold ornate decorations and rare interior work. The team reconstructed silk murals, wooden joinery, jade inlays, and bamboo thread marquetry. The restoration cost was reported at about $15 to $18 million.
The project ran under a long partnership with the World Monuments Fund. This project links local craft skills with outside conservation advice. It shows how focused care can save a historical monument.
What You Will Notice
Small courtyards with different moods.
Clustered buildings and quiet open spaces.
Old trees and narrow water channels.
Fine decorations that show Qing design.
How It Fits Your Trip
If you plan a historical trip, add time to move slowly. The Forbidden City sits at the heart. You should book the Palace Museum entry first. Tickets are priced modestly in the low season. Expect crowds on holidays and short visiting windows.
For quiet hours, choose weekday mornings. This new corner already ranks among the top places to go in China for visitors who want close-up detail. It also appears on lists of things to do in China for culture-minded travelers.
Why You Should Care
If you love Chinese history, this garden offers a calm, clear page of the past. If you study how a historical monument is brought back to life, this site shows the value of patient monument restoration. The garden is small, but it reveals the taste and private life of an emperor. It also shows how careful craft and modern conservation meet.
Final View
You leave the garden with new eyes for small spaces. The place rewards slow looking and quiet steps. This garden offers an intimate peek at imperial life. It proves that careful monument restoration can bring hidden rooms back to life.
If you want an unusual stop on a historical trip, add this secret garden to your plan and enjoy one of the finest places to go in China.
And for anyone making a list of places to visit in China, this site should sit near the top. Chinese history is not only grand halls and big dates; it can also be found in a secret garden, where small details carry the story.
