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42-604: With an area of 2.2 km (0.8 sq mi), Kunming Lake covers approximately three-quarters of the Summer Palace grounds. It is quite shallow, with an average depth of only 1.5 meters (5 ft). Kunming Lake takes up about 75% of the park and contains many famous small islands and bridges, making it one of the top popular sites in the Summer Palace. Kunming Lake is a manmade lake whose predecessors were called Wengshan (Jar Hill) Pond and Xihu Lake . They were reservoirs which had been used as sources of water both for

84-557: A hydraulic engineer. In 1251, as a government official, he helped repair a bridge over the Dahuoquan River . Kublai realized the importance of hydraulic engineering, irrigation, and water transport, which he believed could help alleviate uprisings within the empire, and sent Liu Bingzhong and his student Guo to look at these aspects in the area between Dadu (now Beijing or Peking) and the Yellow River. To provide Dadu with

126-695: A new supply of water, Guo had a 30 km channel built to bring water from the Baifu spring in the Shenshan Mountain to Dadu, which required connecting the water supply across different river basins, canals with sluices to control the water level. The Grand Canal, which linked the river systems of the Yangtze, the Huai, and the Huang since the early 7th century, was repaired and extended to Dadu in 1292–93 with

168-500: A system of approximation to find arc lengths and angles. He stated that pi was equal to 3, leading to a complex sequence of equations which came up with an answer more accurate than the answer that would have resulted if he did the same sequence of equations, but instead having pi equal to 3.1415. As people began to add onto his work, the authenticity of his work was questioned. Some believe that he took Middle Eastern mathematical and theoretical ideas and used them as his own, taking all

210-523: A water powered armillary sphere called the Ling Long Yi. The gnomon is used to measure the angle of the sun, determine the seasons, and is the basis of the sundial, but Guo Shoujing revised this device to become much more accurate and improved the ability to tell time more precisely. The square table was used to measure the azimuth of celestial bodies by the equal altitude method and could also be used as protractor . The abridged or simplified armilla

252-414: A width of 8 meters. It is composed of 17 holes with different heights and widths. The holes on both sides are symmetrical, making the bridge body like a long rainbow and presenting a curved arch bridge. There are 62 pairs of pillars on the bridge railing, and 544 small stone lions with different expressions are decorated on the head of the pillars. The high-arched stone bridge with a single hole located at

294-509: A young age, Guo was revolutionizing old inventions. His work on clocks, irrigation, reservoirs, and equilibrium stations within other machines allowed for a more effective or accurate result. The watches he perfected through his work in hydraulics allowed for an extremely accurate reading of the time. For irrigation, he provided hydraulics systems which distributed water equally and swiftly, which allowed communities to trade more effectively, and therefore prosper. His most memorable engineering feat

336-463: Is a 3-hole stone bridge, 31.43 meters long, 6.52 meters at its widest point, 4.28 meters at its narrowest point, and about 5.84 meters high. There are 20 steps and 27 railings on both sides of the bridge. Jade Belt Bridge , one of the six bridges on the western of Kunming Lake, is a high-arch stone bridge built during the Qianlong emperor. The bridge body is made of white marble and bluestone. This

378-745: Is not only the water inlet of Kunming Lake, but also the exit for emperors to go to Yuquan Mountain. Guo Shoujing Guo Shoujing ( Chinese : 郭守敬 , 1231–1316), courtesy name Ruosi ( 若思 ), was a Chinese astronomer , hydraulic engineer , mathematician , and politician of the Yuan dynasty . The later Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591–1666) was so impressed with the preserved astronomical instruments of Guo that he called him "the Tycho Brahe of China." Jamal ad-Din cooperated with him. In 1231, in Xingtai, Hebei province , China, Guo Shoujing

420-537: Is the man-made Kunming Lake in Beijing, which provided water for all of the surrounding area of Beijing and allowed for the best grain transport system in the country. His work with other such reservoirs allowed people in inner China access to water for planting, drinking, and trading. Guo's work in mathematics was regarded as the most highly knowledgeable in China for 400 years. Guo worked on spherical trigonometry, using

462-430: Is variously reported as 1314 or 1316. Guo Shoujing was a major influence in the development of science in China. The tools he invented for astronomy allowed him to calculate an accurate length for the year, which allowed Chinese culture to set up a whole new system of exact dates and times, allowing for increasingly accurate recording of history and a sense of continuity throughout the country. The calendar stabilized

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504-680: The Qing Dynasty . After being burned by the British and French allied forces , the Guangxu years rebuilt a one-layer hall. Besides this, the island also contains a pier, some temples, and other smaller buildings. Zhijing Pavilion Island located at the north side of Kunming Lake. A round city wall was surrounded the Zhijing Pavilion on the center of the island. In 1860, after the destruction of British and French forces, Cixi removed

546-654: The region south of the Yangtze River . In particular, the West Dike is a recreation of the famous Sudi Dike on West Lake in Hangzhou . It cuts diagonally through the southern part of the lake. Like the Sudi Dike, the West Dike is connected through six bridges, each with its own distinctive style: Jiehu, Binfeng, Yudai , Jing, Lian, and Liu. The largest bridge on Kunming Lake is the 17-Arch Bridge that connects

588-519: The Chinese culture allowing subsequent dynasties to rule more effectively. Through his work in astronomy, he was also able to more accurately establish the location of celestial bodies and the angles of the Sun relative to Earth . He invented a tool which could be used as an astrological compass , helping people find north using the stars instead of magnets . Within the field of hydraulics, even at

630-476: The Wuhan City Government commenced reconstruction of the tower at a new location, about 1 km (0.62 mi) from the original site, and it was completed in 1985. The Sacred Stupa ( Chinese : 胜像宝塔 ; pinyin : Shèngxiàng Bǎotǎ ) is 9.36 meters high and 5.68 meters wide. It is built with external stone and internal bricks, mainly stone masonry. A small amount of bricks are used in

672-544: The Yangtze River. Yellow Crane Tower is considered one of the Four Great Towers of China . In its modern version, it has the appearance of an ancient tower but is built of modern materials, including an elevator. Each level has its own display. To the east on the hill, a large temple bell may be rung by tourists for a small fee. There are court dances in the western yard during the week-long National Day of

714-640: The calendar, calculating a year to be 365.2425 days, just 26 seconds off the year's current measurement. In 1283, Guo was promoted to director of the Observatory in Beijing and, in 1292, he became the head of the Water Works Bureau. Throughout his life he also did extensive work with spherical trigonometry . After Kublai Khan's death, Guo continued to be an advisor to Kublai's successors, working on hydraulics and astronomy. His year of death

756-530: The city and irrigation of fields over a period of 3,500 years. Guo Shoujing , a famous astronomer and engineer in his time, developed it into a reservoir for the capital of the Yuan Dynasty in 1291. The conversion of the area into an imperial garden was commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor with the work being carried out between 1750 and 1764. In the course of creating the gardens, the lake area

798-518: The construction of the tower, notes that after Sun Quan , founder of the kingdom of Eastern Wu , built the fort of Xiakou in 223, a tower was constructed at/on the Yellow Crane Jetty , west of Xiakou , and hence its name. The tower has been destroyed twelve times, both by warfare and by fire, in the Ming and Qing dynasties and was repaired on ten separate occasions. The last tower at

840-509: The credit. However, he never left China which would have made it more difficult for him to access others' ideas. Otherwise, Guo was highly regarded throughout history, by many cultures, as a precursor of the Gregorian calendar as well as the man who perfected irrigation techniques in the new millennium. Many historians regard him as the most prominent Chinese astronomer, engineer, and mathematician of all time. His calendar would be used for

882-638: The eastern shore with South Lake Island, representing Penglai. Close to the bridge on the eastern shore stands a bronze ox sculpture. According to Chinese legend , Yu the Great used an iron ox to prevent flooding. Since the bronze ox is located on the eastern dike of Kunming Lake in the direction of the Forbidden City , it was probably erected in order to protect the Forbidden City from flooding. The water source of Kunming Lake mainly comes from

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924-444: The historical and cultural significance of Wuhan in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. Notwithstanding the tower's current location on Snake Hill being unrelated to its original location one kilometre away, the two popular legends related to it invoke the hill. In the first, an Immortal ( 仙人 ) named Wang Zi'an ( 王子安 ) rode away from Snake Mountain on a yellow crane and a tower was later built in commemoration of this story. In

966-544: The internal tower room. It is the oldest and most complete single building preserved on the former site of the Yellow Crane Tower. The Sacred Stupa is a stupa of Tibetan Buddhism , and it is an example of the first type of stupa after Buddhism was brought from India to China. It is the only existing Lama-style white stupa in Wuhan, and it provides important physical materials for studying the history and religion of

1008-640: The islands in Hangzhou 's West Lake and the Forbidden City 's Taiye Lake , they were intended to represent three islands of the immortals mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas : Penglai , Yingzhou , and Fangzhang . Kunming's three are named " South Lake Island " ( t   南湖島 , s   南湖岛 , Nánhúdǎo ), " Round Fort Island " ( t   團城島 , s   团城岛 , Tuánchéngdǎo ), and " Algæ -view Hall Island " ( t   藻鑒堂島 , s   藻鉴堂岛 , Zǎojiàntángdǎo ) Many features of Kunming Lake are inspired by natural scenery from

1050-452: The misty river. There are other famous poems about the Yellow Crane Tower by Li Bai . One was written on the occasion of Li Bai parting with his friend and poetic colleague, Meng Haoran . The poem is titled "Seeing off Meng Haoran for Guangling at Yellow Crane Tower" ( 黃鶴樓送孟浩然之廣陵 ), and is shown in its original form below: 故人西辭黃鶴樓， 煙花三月下揚州。 孤帆遠影碧空盡， 唯見長江天際流。 A modern English translation is: My old friend bids farewell to me in

1092-453: The next 363 years, the longest period during which a calendar would be used in Chinese history. He also used mathematical functions in his work relating to spherical trigonometry, building upon the knowledge of Shen Kuo 's (1031–1095) earlier work in trigonometry . It is debated amongst scholars whether or not his work in trigonometry was based entirely on the work of Shen, or whether it was partially influenced by Islamic mathematics which

1134-499: The original site was built in 1868 and destroyed in 1884. In 1907, a new tower was built near the site of the Yellow Crane Tower. Zhang Zhidong proposed "Aolüe Tower" ( Chinese : 奧略樓 ; pinyin : Àolüè lóu ) as the name of this tower and wrote an antithetical couplet for it. In 1957, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was built with one trestle of the bridge on the Yellow Crane Tower's site. In 1981,

1176-475: The parts of this pavilion to rebuild other buildings in the Summer Palace . Since then the Zhijing Pavilion has been abandoned. Now, all that can be seen are the remains. Zaojian Hall Island located at the south side of Kunming Lake. The location is secluded. A small garden is also on the island. Qianlong liked to rest here at leisure time. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge has a total length of 150 meters and

1218-536: The poem is shown below: 昔人已乘黃鶴去， 此地空餘黃鶴樓。 黃鶴一去不復返， 白雲千載空悠悠。 晴川歷歷漢陽樹， 芳草萋萋鸚鵡洲。 日暮鄉關何處是， 煙波江上使人愁。 A modern English translation is: Long ago one's gone riding the yellow crane, all that remained is the Yellow Crane Tower. Once the yellow crane left it will never return, for one thousand years the clouds wandered carelessly. The clear river reflects each Hanyang tree, fragrant grasses lushly grow on Parrot Island. At sunset, which direction leads to my hometown? One could not help feeling melancholy along

1260-729: The recharge of springs downstream of Yuquan Mountain and groundwater. The springs within a few dozen miles northwest of Yuquan Mountain were channeled through the Baifuweng Mountain River in the Yuan Dynasty. However, the water source was obviously insufficient in 1949. In 1965, the Jingmi Diversion Canal Project was completed, opening up Kunming Lake as a new water source. There are three islands in Kunming Lake. These three islands form

1302-682: The rise of the Changzhou School of Thought and spread of the "evidential learning". Asteroid 2012 Guo Shou-Jing is named after him, as is the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope near Beijing. Yellow Crane Tower Yellow Crane Tower ( simplified Chinese : 黄鹤楼 ; traditional Chinese : 黃鶴樓 ; pinyin : Huánghè Lóu ) is a traditional Chinese tower located in Wuhan . The current structure

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1344-518: The second legend, Fei Yi becomes immortal and rides a yellow crane, often stopping on Snake Hill to take a rest. The tower is also a sacred site of Taoism . Lü Dongbin is said to have ascended to heaven from here. There is a small cave in the hill beneath the tower with Lü Dongbin statue. The cave has been called Lü Zu Dong, literately meaning cave of Lü Dongbin. Yellow Crane Tower was made famous by an 8th-century poem written by Cui Hao , titled "Yellow Crane Tower" ( 黃鶴樓 ). The original text of

1386-548: The shape of a tripod, symbolizing a sign of immortality. This has been the norm for royal gardens since the time of Qin Shi Huang . Nanhu Island located at the east side of Kunming Lake. The area is more than 10,000 square meters. A main building, Hanxu Hall, located on the north side of the island. This building was originally a three-layered pavilion imitating the Yellow Crane Tower for watching performances in

1428-650: The southernmost bridge in the Summer Palace. It is the boundary between Kunming Lake and the Changhe River, and the only way for the emperors of the Qing Dynasty to enter the Summer Palace from the Changhe waterway. Jiehu Bridge is the northernmost bridge of the lake's western shore. The bridge was first built in 1750, burned down by the British and French allied forces in 1860, and rebuilt by Cixi in 1886. It

1470-410: The use of corvée (unpaid labor). After the success of this project, Kublai Khan sent Guo off to manage similar projects in other parts of the empire. He became the chief advisor of hydraulics, mathematics, and astronomy for Kublai Khan. Guo began to construct astronomical observation devices. He has been credited with inventing the gnomon, the square table, the abridged or simplified armilla, and

1512-489: The west at Yellow Crane Tower. Amid March's mist and flowers he goes down to Yangzhou . The distant image of his lonely sail disappears in the blue sky, And all I see is the Long River flowing to the edge of sky. The tower and its surroundings have been marked as Yellow Crane Tower Park. There are tour services that can be hired for a fee at the entrance. The top of the tower has a broad view of its surroundings and

1554-488: Was born into a poor family. He was raised primarily by his paternal grandfather, Guo Yong, who was famous throughout China for his expertise in a wide variety of topics, ranging from the study of the Five Classics to astronomy , mathematics , and hydraulics . Guo Shoujing was a child prodigy , showing exceptional intellectual promise. By his teens, he obtained a blueprint for a water clock which his grandfather

1596-521: Was built from 1981 to 1985, but the tower has existed in various forms from as early as AD 223. The current Yellow Crane Tower is 51.4 m (169 ft) high and covers an area of 3,219 m (34,650 sq ft). It is situated on Snake Hill ( 蛇山 ), one kilometer away from the original site, on the banks of the Yangtze River in Wuchang District . The Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties , written almost 600 years after

1638-614: Was extended by a workforce of almost 10,000 laborers. In the year 1990 and 1991, the Beijing Municipal Government undertook the first dredging of the lake in 240 years. A total of 652,600 m (853,600 cu yd) of sludge were removed in the work. 205 Japanese bombs dropped during the Sino-Japanese War were also found. Kunming Lake is designed to represent the traditional Chinese gardening practice of "one pond, three hills" ( 一池三山 ). Like

1680-469: Was largely accepted at Kublai's court. Sal Restivo asserts that Guo Shoujing's work in trigonometry was directly influenced by Shen's work. An important work in trigonometry in China would not be printed again until the collaborative efforts of Xu Guangqi and his Italian Jesuit associate Matteo Ricci in 1607, during the late Ming Dynasty . Guo Shoujing was cited by Tang Shunzhi 唐順之 (1507–1560) as an example of solid practical scholarship, anticipating

1722-448: Was used to measure the angle of the sun, as well as the position of any celestial body. The Ling Long Yi is similar to an abridged armilla except larger, more complex, and more accurate. Kublai Khan, after observing Guo's mastery of astronomy, ordered that he, Zhang, and Wang Xun make a more accurate calendar. They built 27 observatories throughout China in order to gain thorough observations for their calculations. In 1280, Guo completed

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1764-437: Was working on, and realized its principles of operation. He improved the design of a type of water clock called a lotus clepsydra , a water clock with a bowl shaped like a lotus flower on the top into which the water dripped. After he had mastered the construction of such water clocks, he began to study mathematics at the age of 16. From mathematics, he began to understand hydraulics , as well as astronomy. At 20, Guo became

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