|
Built in 1759, and located to the
east of Fangwaiguan, the largest European-style garden in
Yuanmingyuan-Haiyantang-consisted of a main building and an
H-shaped water tower behind it. The two-storied main building
faces west, with 11 rooms on each floor. The gate of the building
was flanked by a pair of water channels with steps leading
down to a large fountain. On the V-shaped platform around
the pond stood 12 bronze statues with animal heads and human
bodies, the animals being those representing the 12 Earthly
branches. Every two hours water was sprayed out successively
from each animal's mouth. Thus the fountain was also called
the "Water Clock."
Behind the main building was the
H-shaped reservoir flanked to the north and south by two small
fountains. It fed all the fountains around this area. At its
east and west ends were waterwheel houses. Below the terrace
in the middle was the reservoir with tin walls and a high
base, known as the "tin sea." It held over 160 cubic meters
of water. In its early days, water was brought up by man-powered
dragon-phoenix waterwheels designed by Michael Benoist. Three
or four years later a pulley system was used to haul up water
in big jars. |
