Set in 19th-century China, this legend is the story of Emperor Xian Feng and his love for a beautiful Han concubine named HeHanQu. The emperor renamed her Lotus Spring because, just like the flower, she possessed a delicate beauty. As she grows from a young girl who is forced to leave home to save her family, she develops strong character, warmth, and a spiritual soul.
Lotus Spring and the emperor live together in Lian Xi Le Chu, Lotus Haven, part of Yüan Ming Yüan, the Garden of Perfect Brightness. The story unfolds against this backdrop. Lotus Spring disappears, and the emperor frantically searches through pavilions, temples, and exotic chambers to discover what happened to her. The emperor remembers and collects a number of objects, each one a piece of the puzzle that brings her closer to his heart.
The Garden of Perfect Brightness evolved slowly over a period of 150 years, beginning in 1644, at the height of the Qing Dynasty. It was destroyed in 1860, burned to the ground during the second of the opium wars. Although parts of it were eventually rebuilt, it never regained its former glory. Now you can take a fascinating journey through this small slice of China's history by traveling through this re-created slip of paradise on earth.
Access a fascinating wealth of information about life as it was lived in this secret world, the clothes and jewels that were worn, the temples in which Emperor Xian Feng and Lotus Spring worshipped, the galleries where they painted, the music they played, and the chambers where they lived. The beauty and magic of this world will envelop you when you enter Yüan Ming Yüan.