Enyou Temple and Enmu Temple Mountain Gates: Relics of the Royal Garden
In Haidian District, Beijing, near the west gate of Peking University, stand two ancient mountain gates—Enyou Temple Mountain Gate and Enmu Temple Mountain Gate. They are located less than 50 meters apart, with Enyou Temple on the north side and Enmu Temple on the south side. These gates are the only remaining above-ground architectural relics of Changchun Garden, a Qing Dynasty imperial garden.
As people pass by the west gate of Peking University, many notice these almost identical ancient structures. They appear somewhat dilapidated and even seem to be within reach for anyone. It wasn’t until later that people learned these buildings were remnants of the Qing Dynasty Enmu Temple and Enyou Temple. Having endured two or three centuries of wind and rain, they stand as witnesses to the once glorious imperial garden.
Today, Changchun Garden has become a residential area for Peking University, and its original garden layout is no longer visible. In 1981, the Enyou Temple and Enmu Temple Mountain Gates were listed as cultural heritage sites in Haidian District, Beijing. In 1921, their protection status was upgraded, and they became a designated cultural heritage site of Beijing.
In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), after the disastrous destruction of Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace), Minister Ming Shan of the Imperial Household Department mentioned in a memorial on September 29 of that year: “The main palace gate, the East and West morning rooms outside the main palace gate, the six ministries’ morning rooms… Enmu Temple, Enyou Temple, Qingxi Study, and other places were all burned.” This historical record documents the tragic fate of these two mountain gates.
Phoenix Lee https://chinese-tradition.com/enyou-enmu-temple-gates-qing-dynasty-royal-garden-relics.html