A Study of Gardens Affiliated to Huiguan (Guild Halls) in Beijing in Qing Dynasty

As the sites for gatherings, accommodation and sacrifices, numerous Huiguan (guild halls) were built in the outer city of Beijing in Qing Dynasty. Some Huiguan included gardens with buildings, rockeries, water landscapes and plants. Based on textual researches and site surveys, the paper gives an account of major gardens affiliated to Huiguan, and make further exploration to their design ideas. In general, the main features of these gardens include regular layouts, varied buildings such as halls and pavilions, rockeries of blue stones, simple waterscapes and plants easy to maintain. Besides, the plaques and couplets in gardens are full of cultural implications, reflecting the characteristics of their hometowns.