Travel Haiku - Garden Of Gardens Yuan Ming Yuan Poem by john tiong chunghoo

yuan ming yuan
only the rippled lake reflects
its former grace

Yuan Ming Yuan in Beijing was hailed by the world as the garden of gardens in the 18th century. It was a sanctuary created for the Manchu emperors where they lived and ruled the most populated country in the world. There was even a fountain built of western architecture. There were many lakes most of which are still there today. However, the buildings had mostly been destroyed by the colonial forces at that time ravaging the East.