Scenic Spot of the Hall that Dispels the Clouds and the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha
This scenic spot covers an area of 20,000 square meters with an assortment of buildings such as palaces, towers, corridors, pavilions, walkways, bridges, archways and inscribed stone steles. It comprises a well-arranged group of structures, all diverse in style, located in the center of the Summer Palace garden. This complex of structures, ranging from the Glowing Clouds and Holy Land Archway on the waterside, the Gate that Dispels the Clouds, the Hall that Dispels the Clouds, the Hall of Moral Glory, and the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha, to the Realm of Popular Fragrance and the Sea of Wisdom Temple, were built in an orderly manner running from the foot of the hill to its top, with gardens, temples and palaces harmoniously integrated into the whole. This manifests beauty, grace and splendor, reminiscent of the loftiness and grandeur of a once mighty empire. This whole area, with the Temple of Immense Gratitude and Longevity in the center, was built in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1750) and burned down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The area was restored during the reign of Emperor Guangxu.
