The Application of Regulating Plant Growth into Protective Engineering of The Western Mansions Area in The Old Summer Palace

Abstract

The Western Mansions (Xīyáng Lóu) in the Old Summer Palace (Yuánmíngyuán ) are extremely valuable set of heritage. When it was first conceived and constructed, it was an important part of the successful exchange between Chinese and the Western cultures. It marked the entry of European architecture and the art of gardening into Chinese royal gardens. Therefore, the Western Mansions occupies a vital position in the garden history of China and even the world. Since the 1980s, the Administrative Office of the Old Summer Place (Yuánmíngyuán) had cleared and reorganized the Western Mansions relics. But currently, both the protection and display of the Western Mansions are far from satisfactory. With regards to the outlook of the cultural relics, there is cracking and collapses, relics are damaged by tourists, there is rainwater erosion, plant aggression, pollutants, weathering, crumbling and other threats. This is caused by the improper protective measures and the yearslong erosion through natural causes. Therefore, in order to protect the important heritage and show people the situation of the plant growth，As the basis of the copper planting, the historical conditions of planting can be speculated at the time of the western building, which become an important basis for the recovery of history. This paper also further researches on the informationg of plant form in history,to avoid destabilising the heritage.Some destruction from plant growth can be controled.