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- Etching of the south side of the Huanghuazhen from 1787.
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- Looking towards the tower in the center of the maze, over the outer perimeter wall.
- Designer: Giuseppe Castiglione
- Location: Summer Palace, Beijing, China
- Date: built 1756-1759, rebuild 1977-1992
- Size: 232 x 193.5 feet
- Materials: stone
“The Wanhua Zhen (simplified Chinese: 万花阵; traditional Chinese: 萬花陣; pinyin: wàn huā zhèn; lit. ‘10,000-flower maze’), or Huanghuazhen (simplified Chinese: 黄花阵; traditional Chinese: 黃花陣; pinyin: huánghuāzhèn; lit. ‘yellow-flower maze’,
WikiMiniAtlas40°0′44.46″N 116°18′8.10″E) is a maze formed of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)-high embossed-brick walls covering an area of 89 m × 59 m (292 ft × 194 ft). The total length of the walls is 1.6 km (0.99 mi). In its center sits a European-style circular pavilion. The emperor is said to have sat in this pavilion to watch his concubines competing in a race with yellow lanterns through the labyrinth on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival. ” [credit]
“Later when age prevented the Qianlong Emperor from visiting Chengde for Mid-Autumn, there would be a maze competition held in his honor at Yuanmingyuan, and the Emperor would personally award the winner. Holding lanterns, palace servants would try to find their way out of the Wanhuazhen Western-style maze. Seated above, Qianlong must have had a remarkable vantage of the bright steadfast moon in the night sky and below it the flurry of lanterns casting about like shooting stars. As always, spreads of delicacies were placed before of him, while his children and grandchildren frolicked at his feet, and his empresses and consorts stood by his side. These festivities took place every autumn year after year, until the Qianlong Emperor passed away at the age of 87 as Emperor Emeritus of the Qing dynasty.” [credit]