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Reconstruction of the Masterplan of Jinmingchi Garden Shevchenko

[2]
Jinmingchi (Golden Clear Pond) (金 明 池 ) Volume III (中国古代建筑史 • 第三卷) ,
was a famous imperial garden of the Northern Guo Daiheng（郭黛姮） (2009) discussed
Song dynasty ( 北 宋 ,960‒1127). A wide the history of the Jinmingchi Garden in great
variety of gardens were built in Bianjing (汴 detail and reconstructed the masterplan of the
京), also named Dongjing (东京), which is Garden based on Dongjing MengHuaLu.
today’s Kaifeng(开封), and which was the With literatures, Song-dynasty paintings and
capital city of the Northern Song dynasty with archaeological achievements, Liu Diyu（刘
imperial, private, and monastery gardens. 涤 宇 (2014) conducted analysis of the
Among them, the imperial garden showed not Jinmingchi Garden’s masterplan and single
only a larger scale than the others, but also structures to draw important conclusion in his
was located outside the city wall for most book, Qingming Shanghe Tu in Successive
[4]
[1]
parts . Dynasties:City and Architecture .
Imperial garden is categorized as regular Based on the studies mentioned above,
and temporary occupancy (大内御苑和行宫 this paper aims to make further analysis of
御 苑 ). Temporary imperial palace gardens Jinmingchi Garden’s master planning,
were located both inside and outside the provide supplementary explanation on some
Walled City. Jinmingchi located outside the of the controversial issues and speculate the
Walled City was one of the famous Four painters’ skills when depicting the Garden
Fabulous Gardens of Dongjing (东京四苑). space in the Song dynasty. Initially, there was
a pond built for marine training exercise in
The Garden was specifically located in the Jinmingchi’s current location, which
northern part of the main street, outside the explained the similarities yet some
city gate in the southwest corner of differences in its master planning compared
Shuntianmen ( 顺 天 门 ), also named with other gardens. The training pond was
Xinzhengmen(新郑门), facing the Qionglin built in 957 (the 4th year of Emperor Zhou
Garden (琼 林 苑 ). Jinmingchi was a huge ShizongXiande)(周世宗显德四年) . Zhou
[5]
pond, covering most of the Garden’s site. Shizong (周世宗) ordered to build this pond
During the Northern Song dynasty, the pond to replicate Kunming Pond (昆明池)that was
was used as a facility for dragon-boat racing,
which was referred to as Shuixi ( 水 嬉 ) used by Emperor Wu of Han (汉武帝)to train
(meaning “water-play”) by the people in the the navy in the west of Chang’an (长安) city.
[2]
era . In the Five Dynasties (五代), frequent civil
Jinmingchi is better described in the wars broke out, resulting in the necessity of
Song-dynasty literature Dongjing MengHua building such training grounds to Zhou’s
Lu (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of troops. The pond remained its military use
Splendor, 东 京 梦 华 录 ), whereas the until the end of the 10th century where the
Northern-Song dynasty scroll painting emperors were personally involved in the
[2]
Jinmingchi Zhengbiao Tu (Tournament on training . It was not until Emperor Song
Jinming Pond) (金明池争标图) depicted the Taizong(宋太宗) started to build a garden on
masterplan of the Garden and its architecture. the site in 976 (the 1st year of Taiping
Many scholars have studied different aspects Xingguo, 太平兴国元年), the pond size was
of the architecture and planning of the enlarged. According to Wang Yinglin (王应
Jinmingchi Garden. For example, in the 麟)’s Volume 147 of Yuhai (玉海), “Emperor
[3]
History of Ancient Chinese Gardens (中国 Song Taizong ordered more than 35,000
古 代 园 林 史 ),Wang Juyuan （ 汪 菊 渊 ） soldiers to excavate, canalize, and transfer
(2006) cited large numbers of ancient water from Jinshui River(金水河) to the pond
literatures to describe the masterplan and in 976. Five halls (五殿) were at the center of
activities held in the Garden. In the book, the pond with a bridge built to connect the
History of Ancient Chinese Architecture • halls to the south bank. Qionglin Garden (琼

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