@article{1358051,
      recid = {1358051},
      author = {Wong, Young-tsu,},
      title = {A paradise lost : the imperial garden Yuanming Yuan /},
      publisher = {University of Hawai'i Press,},
      address = {Honolulu :},
      pages = {1 online resource (x, 226 pages) :},
      year = {2001},
      abstract = {"Noted for its magnificent architecture and extraordinary  history, the Yuanming Yuan is China's most famous imperial  garden. The complex was begun in the early eighteenth  century, and construction continued over the next 150  years. While Chinese historians, and many Chinese in  general, view the garden as the paramount achievement of  Chinese architecture and landscape design, almost nothing  is known about the Yuanming Yuan in the West. A Paradise  Lost is the first comprehensive study of the palatial  garden complex in a Western language. Written in a broad  and engaging style, Young-tsu Wong brings "the garden of  perfect brightness" to life as he leads readers on a grand  tour of its architecture and history." "Wong begins by  inspecting the garden's physical appearance and its  architectural elements. He discusses the origin and  evolution of these structures and the aesthetics of their  design and arrangement. Throughout he refers to maps and  original models of individual buildings and other existing  gardens of the Ming-Qing period, including the  well-preserved Yihe Yuan and the Chengde Summer Mountain  Retreat in Rehe. A special feature of the book is its  exploration of the activities and daily life of the royal  household."--Jacket},
      url = {http://library.usi.edu/record/1358051},
}