A Masterwork Restored: The Forbidden City's Qianlong Garden
Join World Monuments Fund (WMF) in San Francisco for an inside look at the conservation of Beijing’s 18th century Qianlong Garden.
date & time
Location
Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture
200 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Qianlong Garden was a private retreat designed by Emperor Qianlong within Beijing’s Forbidden City, where 24 Ming and Qing emperors once ruled over China. This secluded lodge and garden, nestled in the imperial palace, represented an ideal paradise for the emperor’s retreat and has remarkably retained its original setting since its completion in 1776. The garden’s fabulous interiors reflect the pinnacle of 18th-century Chinese art and the brilliance of traditional design and aesthetics.
Since 2000, World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the Palace Museum have partnered on an extensive conservation project to restore the garden and establish a new interpretation center. This September, WMF and the Palace Museum celebrated the official public reopening of the garden’s first and second courtyards, together with a new on-site exhibition that offers visitors a comprehensive understanding of the garden’s interiors, design, and craftsmanship for the first time. The reopening is accompanied by the publication of Tranquil Longevity, Predestined Serenity: The Origins, Interpretation, and Conservation of the Qianlong Garden, which provides an in-depth look into the garden’s history and the meticulous restoration of the site.
Join Dr. Jonathan S. Bell, Senior Vice President of Global Preservation Strategy at WMF, for an in-depth look at the conservation of Qianlong Garden. This is a rare opportunity to glimpse into a Forbidden City hidden gem and discover the fascinating stories, craftsmanship, and care behind its history and conservation.
This event is free and open to the public as a part of AAM’s First Thursdays series. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served.
For questions or additional information, please contact rsvp@wmf.org.
A Masterwork Restored: The Forbidden City's Qianlong Garden
Join World Monuments Fund (WMF) in San Francisco for an inside look at the conservation of Beijing’s 18th century Qianlong Garden.
date & time
Location
Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture
200 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Qianlong Garden was a private retreat designed by Emperor Qianlong within Beijing’s Forbidden City, where 24 Ming and Qing emperors once ruled over China. This secluded lodge and garden, nestled in the imperial palace, represented an ideal paradise for the emperor’s retreat and has remarkably retained its original setting since its completion in 1776. The garden’s fabulous interiors reflect the pinnacle of 18th-century Chinese art and the brilliance of traditional design and aesthetics.
Since 2000, World Monuments Fund (WMF) and the Palace Museum have partnered on an extensive conservation project to restore the garden and establish a new interpretation center. This September, WMF and the Palace Museum celebrated the official public reopening of the garden’s first and second courtyards, together with a new on-site exhibition that offers visitors a comprehensive understanding of the garden’s interiors, design, and craftsmanship for the first time. The reopening is accompanied by the publication of Tranquil Longevity, Predestined Serenity: The Origins, Interpretation, and Conservation of the Qianlong Garden, which provides an in-depth look into the garden’s history and the meticulous restoration of the site.
Join Dr. Jonathan S. Bell, Senior Vice President of Global Preservation Strategy at WMF, for an in-depth look at the conservation of Qianlong Garden. This is a rare opportunity to glimpse into a Forbidden City hidden gem and discover the fascinating stories, craftsmanship, and care behind its history and conservation.
This event is free and open to the public as a part of AAM’s First Thursdays series. Seating is limited and first-come, first-served.
For questions or additional information, please contact rsvp@wmf.org.
About the Speakers
Dr. Jonathan S. Bell
Senior Vice President of Global Preservation Strategy, World Monuments FundDr. Jonathan S. Bell came to World Monuments Fund from National Geographic Society, where he oversaw a large portfolio of projects that included archaeological research and cultural heritage. Over the course of his career, he worked with the Getty Conservation Institute on World Heritage Sites in China and Egypt, evaluated cultural site management from Kazakhstan to Colombia, and oversaw strategic planning for largescale flood infrastructure for the County of Los Angeles. Dr. Bell serves on multiple ICOMOS scientific committees as an expert member and sits on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Architectural Conservation. He holds a BA from Harvard University, a DEA from the Sorbonne, an MSc in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, and a PhD in Urban Planning from UCLA.