Emperor Qianlong was "so scared" that he did not dare set foot in the "cursed place"
The majestic structure in the Summer Palace hides an ancient curse, causing Emperor Qianlong to never dare to step inside for his entire life.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•14/08/2025
Emperor Qianlong's real name was Aisin Gioro Hongli, born in 1711. He was the son of Emperor Yongzheng (Qing Shizong) and the grandson of Emperor Kangxi. In the year of Bing Thin 1736, Emperor Yongzheng passed away and Hongli ascended the throne, taking the name Gaozong and the era name Qianlong. He ruled the country for 60 years and became one of the longest-lived emperors in Qing history as well as the world .
During his reign, Emperor Qianlong implemented many reforms and issued many policies to help develop the economy , culture, education... Thanks to that, the Qing Dynasty entered a period of prosperity. Regarding the life of Emperor Qianlong, many people were surprised to learn that this emperor did not dare to set foot in the Buddhist Incense Pavilion in the Summer Palace. Also known as “The Qingyi Garden”, the Summer Palace, located 15 kilometers from Beijing, is one of the most famous imperial gardens. It is not only a unique Chinese architectural work but also a symbol of the prosperity and cultural quintessence of the Qing Dynasty. Many Qing emperors chose this place for their vacation.
Many historical records say that the Summer Palace was built during the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234) and is hundreds of years old. In 1750, Emperor Qianlong officially rebuilt the Summer Palace with its predecessor being the Qingyi Garden. The most prominent structure in the Summer Palace is the Foxiang Pavilion. Originally, it was a nine-story Buddhist tower called the Longevity Tower. When the project reached the eighth floor, Emperor Qianlong decided to change the design, transforming it into a structure similar to the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan. The main cause was that the construction workers discovered that the foundation was no longer stable when they reached the eighth floor. At that time, Emperor Qianlong immediately ordered an investigation to determine the cause. Accordingly, the workers discovered a Ming Dynasty tomb right under the foundation of the building.
During the excavation of the tomb, a stone tablet was discovered with a terrifying curse engraved on it: "If you do not do anything to me, I will not do anything to you." After receiving a report from the responsible official, Emperor Qianlong immediately ordered the tomb area to be covered up and a large temple built to suppress the place, which he named Buddha's Incense Pavilion. Even after the completion of the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Emperor Qianlong did not dare to step foot inside. Whether the curse was true or not, the emperor did not set foot inside the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion even when he went to the Summer Palace to relax. The photo in this article is for illustration purposes only.
Readers are invited to watch the video : The strange love story of the Chinese Emperor with a palace maid 17 years older than him.
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