郎世宁（Giuseppe Castiglione） · Public domain
Qing dynasty · 1711–1799
Qianlong Emperor
爱新觉罗·弘历 · China
Sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty
He came to the throne in 1735 and abdicated in 1796 after 60 years so as not to exceed the 61-year reign of his grandfather Kangxi, yet kept power as retired emperor until his death in 1799, making him one of the longest-reigning and longest-lived monarchs in history. For his mother's sixtieth birthday he built the Qingyi Garden (forerunner of the Summer Palace), and beside the Chengde Mountain Resort he built the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, modelled on Lhasa's Potala Palace.
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History · Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde's 'Little Potala Palace'
To consolidate Qing cultural and religious influence in Mongolia and Tibet, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the Putuo Zongcheng Temple built next to the Chengde Mountain Resort, modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa — hence its name, the 'Little Potala'. Together with the resort, the Eight Outer Temples became the political stage where Qing emperors received Mongol princes and Tibetan religious leaders.
History · Summer Palace
A birthday present for his mother
Around 1749 the Qianlong Emperor decided to build a garden around Wengshan and West Lake to celebrate his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing's, 60th birthday — the Qingyi Garden. He renamed the lake 'Kunming Lake' after the Kunming Pool that Emperor Wu of Han dug for training his navy. Qianlong never spent a night in the garden, always returning the same day. In 1860 Anglo-French forces burned the Qingyi Garden; it was later rebuilt and renamed the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan).
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