Garden exhibition shows seeds of culture

In 1772, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), then just turning 60, had reason to be joyful after finally securing his dream place for retirement in the Forbidden City, the royal palace in the heart of Beijing.

Known as Qianlong Garden, the site in the Ningshou Gong ("palace of tranquility and longevity") compound was designed in a breathtakingly exquisite way.

Pavilions, corridors, rockeries, a belvedere, a teahouse, a Buddhist hall and more subtle settings provided a retreat amid mountains and forests within the merely 6,000-square-meter space, all with a touch of splendor.

Nevertheless, the emperor had little time to appreciate his surroundings as he gave the throne to his son when he was 85. He merely enjoyed three years of "retirement" before he died.