Garden of Elegant Spring
A last garden, the Garden of Elegant Spring (綺 春园), was added to the ensemble in 1774. This park was developed by Emperor Jiaqing (嘉庆) (1796-1820) who erected several pavilions and had lakes dug. The objective was purely aesthetic; to create new landscapes and bring beauty and serenity. Emperor Jiaqing described these gardens at length in his poems.
During the reign of his son, Emperor Daoguang (道光) (1821-1850), the Garden of Elegant Spring became the residence of the Emperor’s mother.
