Reconstruction of the Masterplan of Jinmingchi Garden in Northern-Song Bianjing (Modern Kaifeng) – A Secondary Publication

Abstract

Jinmingchi (Golden Clear Pond) was a famous imperial garden of the Northern Song dynasty located outside the city walls to the west of the former capital of Bianjing (modern Kaifeng). The majority of the structures were built along the water. A historical scroll painting, Jinmingchi ZhengbiaoTu (Tournament on Jinming Pond), has survived until the present day that depicts the garden and its masterplan. Additionally, Jinmingchi is described in detail, including the dimensions of several buildings, in the Southern-Song’s literature Dongjing MengHuaLu (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor). Furthermore, in the 1980s and 1990s, when Chinese archaeologists undertook an excavation on the Jinmingchi site, they were able to determine the exact locations of the garden and the main structures within it. The materials above provide a good foundation to research and reconstruct the masterplan of Jinmingchi.