Liang Sicheng, History of Chinese Architecture, 01

(translated by Di Luo)

CHAPTER FIVE. SUI AND TANG
Section One. Cities, Palaces, Tombs and Temples--A General Introduction

Since the old palace of Chang'an was considered as "insufficient for the new Imperial City", Emperor Wen ordered two of his men, Zuopushe Gao Jiong and Jiangzuodajiang Liu Long, to build a new capital on the Longshoushan Plain 21 Li southeast of the old capital, giving it a name "Daxing". The new capital was about 18 Li east to west and 15 Li north to south. On its north seated the imperial city; on the north of the city seated the imperial palace known as the Daxing Palace of Wen. Civilian houses used to distribute spontaneously in the gaps between palaces since the Han Dynasties; as it was then assumed inconvenient for the public, Wen planned his imperial city exclusively for the imperial family, offices, temples and shrines without any interference from the civilian life. The emergence of the early notion of zoning made it a remarkable urban reform in Chinese history. The City of Chang'an of Tang, widely praised by later generations, was indeed initiated by Emperor Wen.

Wen built Renshou Palace in Qizhou and spent most of the summers there. He preferred staying at Renshou from spring to autumn during his late years. "On the way from the imperial city to Renshou Palace there were twelve other palaces (for the emperor's temporary stays during his trip)." Besides there were very few palaces built because of the Emperor's pursuit for an abstemious lifestyle.

Isle of Mystral Lake

I've been dreaming of owning an isle since read the enchanting words by Yeats of his The Lake Isle of Innisfree. What has even more deeply induced this daydream, however, was a passage of The Odyssey, where Homer depicted the picturesque scene as Hermes stepped into Calypso's island:

A great fire
blazed on the hearth and the smell of cedar
cleanly split and sweetwood burning bright
wafted a cloud of fragrance down the island.
......
Thick, luxuriant woods grew round the cave,
alders and black poplars, pungent cypress too,
and there birds roosted, folding their long wings,
owls and hawks and the spread-beaked ravens of the sea,
black skimmers who make their living off the waves.
And round the mouth of the cavern trailed a vine
laden with clusters, bursting with ripe grapes.
Four springs in a row, bubbling clean and cold,
running side-by-side, took channels left and right.
Soft meadows spreading round were starred with violets,
lush with beds of parsley. Why, even a deathless god
who came upon that place would gaze in wonder,
heart entranced with pleasure...