THE IMPERIAL LIBRARY
WEN YUAN Kê
by
LIU TUN TSENG AND LIANG SSU-CH'ENG
The reigen of Ch’ien-lung was the most prosperous and peaceful period during the Ch’ing dynasty. The Emperor enjoyed a life long uninterrupted leisure which made him one of the greatest patrons of art and literature. Among his numerous achievements, the compilation of the “Four Libraries” was undoubtedly one of the importent, an event that was unprecedented in history.
The term “Four Libraries” is based on traditional classification of Chinese books into four main catagories: ching, shih, tzu and chi, i.e.,classics, history, philosophy,and belles lettres.
In the 38th year(1773 A.D.) of Ch’ien-lung, a Commission was organized for the complication of the “Four Libraries” and thousands of scribes were later employed for copyig and revising work. The next year, a special envoy was dispatched to Ningbo to investigate the buliding and the stack system of the Fan family T’ien-yi kê. Later in the same year, work was started in the construction of Wen Yuan kê in the Forbidden City, on a site north to the Wen-hua Tien inside the tung-hua Men and also of the Wen Yuan kê in the northern section of Yuan Ming Yuan. Both these buildings were modelled after the famous Ningpo structure. The constructure of the former was completed in the spring of the 41st year of his reign(1776 A.D.)
In the few years following, similar bulding were erected at five other cities in the Empir: the Wen Shou kê at MuKden, Wen Tsin kê Jehol， Wen Hui kê at ChenKiang, Wen Tsung kê at Yangchow and Wen Lan kê at Hangchow. In each of these building was housed a manuscript copy of the “Four Libraries” consisting of 79030 chuans, in 36000 volumes, besides the “Catalogue” and the “Notes” on the “Four Libraries” and a set of the “T’u-shu-chi-ch’eng”, the Chinese Encyclopaedia. All these kê were build on plans similar to that of the Wen Yuan kê. Thus, among the ancient building for housing books, they became a separate class by themselves.
The Wen Yuan kê is situated in the south-eastern section in the Foebidden City. Together with the Wen Hua Tien and Chu Ching Tien, they form a group of magnificent buildings inside of the Tung Hua Men. The two tiens have been used sa exhibition halls since that part of the Palace was transformed into a museum. Immediately to the rear of the Chu Ching Tien is a rectangular pool, spanned by a marble bridge which leads up to the Wen Yuan kê.
The kê is rectangular in plan，the longer side of which is devided into six bays. The western end bay is only about half the width of the principle bays, and is used as a stair-case. Of the other bays, the central one is considerably larger than the rest, and lines up with the centre line of the of the Chu Ching Tien. Thus, the kê as a whole is placed “off centre”.
The columniation of the kê may be described as a dipteral hall with colonnades both in front and rear on the ground floor. The three central bays of the “nave”, to borrow the term Christian architecture, is an open space and the two end bays are for shelves or stacks. The mezzanine floor is similar to the lower floor in arrangement, but the central space is treated as a well over-looking the ground floor. On the upper floor, the well is eliminated, making all the five bays usable floor. The space between the northern and southern inner columns are filled in with shelves which are also the partitions. In the center of each bay is a free standing shelf, and in the central bay, in addition to the shelf, is the imperial reading throne. The front and rear collonades on the ground floor are not carried to the upper floor.
To the east of the kê is a square pavilion housing the staele which is inscribed with the Emperor’s Note of Wen Yuan kê. To the rear is an artificial rock garden. The whole group, i. e.,the kê, the two tiens with their flanking tiens, is enclosed by a high wall, excessible from the southern side through the Wen Hua Men, and from the north through a small gateway.
EXTERNAL APPEARANCE
Standing on a masonry terrace,the kê is two stories high in external appearance—the mezzanine floor is not expressed on the facade. Theoretically, it is designed after the T’ien Yi Kê of Ningpo, but it differs radically from its model both in general proportion and decoration,and is in strict accord with the Ch’ing dynasty official regulations in architectural design. The two stories are markêd by the two levels of roofs.The kê proper is crowned by a hsieh-shan or “recessed gable”, while the porticoes of the lower story are covered by separate lean-to roofs. The structure thus gives an appearance of great stability,especially when viewed from the ends.The spaces between the columns of the kê proper are filled in with grilled windows,front and rear alikê,on both stories, but on the porticoes, there are rows of tou-kung or brackêts,very small in proportion to the size of the building; and far too many “sets” of them between the columns—as many as ten sets in the central bay—such profusion of tou-kung is rare in any place and in any period.
The ends of the kê are each of one single masonry wall in polished brick.Expect for the roof-end tiles of the porticoes,and the canopy over the small archway that opens from the front porticoe, the whole surface is unadorned, giving an appearance of simplicity and dignity.
The green glazed tile roofs and decorated with dragon heads at the ends of the main ridge and sitting animals at the corners, all of the orthodox design, but the ridges and hips themselves are in designs representing water waves, giving the top of the ridges an irregular silhouette instead of the ordinary smooth line. The application of this design is probably symbolic for its protection against the danger of fire.
The painted decoration of kê is in general of a “cold” colour scheme. Even the columns and windows, which are mostly bright red in other cases, are of dark green and black respectively. The beams, rafters, and railings are painted in blue and green, relieves with white accent. The decorative motifs are books, the “river horse carrying the book”, etc.
The accompanying loose plates, printed in Paris, however, mis-represented the building in bright red colour, giving an entirely different impression from the original.
EXTERNAL APPEARANCE
Standing on a masonry terrace,the kê is two stories high in external appearance—the mezzanine floor is not expressed on the facade.Theoretically,it is designed after the T’ien Yi Kê of Ningpo,but it differs radically from its model both in general proportion and decoration,and is in strict accord with the Ch’ing dynasty official regulations in architectural design.The two stories are markêd by the two levels of roofs.The kê proper is crowned by a hsieh-shan or “recessed gable”, while the porticoes of the lower story are covered by separate lean-to roofs. The structure thus gives an appearance of great stability,especially when viewed from the ends.The spaces between the columns of the kê proper are filled in with grilled windows,front and rear alikê,on both stories,but on the porticoes,there are rows of tou-kung or brackêts,very small in proportion to the size of the building;and far too many “sets” of them between the columns—as many as ten sets in the central bay—such profusion of tou-kung is rare in any place and in any period.
The ends of the kê are each of one single masonry wall in polished brick.Expect for the roof-end tiles of the porticoes,and the canopy over the small archway that opens from the front porticoe, the whole surface is unadorned, giving an appearance of simplicity and dignity.
The green glazed tile roofs and decorated with dragon heads at the ends of the main ridge and sitting animals at the corners, all of the orthodox design, but the ridges and hips themselves are in designs representing water waves, giving the top of the ridges an irregular silhouette instead of the ordinary smooth line. The application of this design is probably symbolic for its protection against the danger of fire.
The painted decoration of kê is in general of a “cold” colour scheme. Even the columns and windows, which are mostly bright red in other cases, are of dark green and black respectively. The beams, rafters, and railings are painted in blue and green, relieves with white accent. The decorative motifs are books, the “river horse carrying the book”, etc.
The accompanying loose plates, printed in Paris, however, mis-represented the building in bright red colour, giving an entirely different impression from the original.
