Leakage History of Yangxin Hall

Date: October 16th, 1764

Leakage Location: Outside the front slope of a building in the Yangxin Hall, hugging the pavilion.

Repair Method: Use clamps to secure joints, apply adhesive to mend the Tiangou, dismantle and secure the imperial road steppingstones, and glue and repair the interior door entrance plank wall.

Date: 29th year of Qianlong reign, October 1764

Leakage Location: On the front slope of roof of Yangxin Hall and the east four sections of the Baosha are experiencing leaks.

Repair Method: Secure joints with clamps, mend the Tiangou by securing joints, dismantle and secure the imperial road steppingstones, and glue and repair the interior door entrance plank wall.

Date: 37th year of Qianlong reign, Aug 1772

Leakage Locations: In front of the eaves of Yangxin Hall, there is one leak at the east end and three leaks at the west end of the large Tiangou; both the east and west gutters behind the hall are leaking, two leaks at the east end of the front eaves of the rear hall, and three leaks in the large gutter at the west end.

Date: 45th year of Qianlong reign, Jul 1780

Leakage Locations: One leak in the Tiangou of the Center chamber of Yangxin Hall, one leak in the Tiangou in front of the western chamber, and one leak in the pillar-hugging of Meiwu.

Date: 46th year of Qianlong reign, Jul 1781

Leakage Locations: Leakage in various places in the palace, which had leaks in the 45th year of Qianlong reign and now again. One leak in the Tiangou of the Center chamber of Yangxin Hall, one leak in the Tiangou in front of the western chamber, and one leak in the pillar-hugging of Meiwu.

New Leakage Location:

One leak in the Tiangou located at back eave of western chamber of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 47th year of Qianlong reign, Aug 1782

Leakage Locations: One leak in each of the east and west large Tiangou of the front and rear eaves of Yangxin Hall, one leak in the small sky gutter of the east corridor, one leak in the pillar-hugging of Meiwu, and one leak in the outer eave of the rear hall corridor.

Date: 48th year of Qianlong reign, Aug 1783

Leakage Locations: Leakage in various places in the palace, which was repaired in the 47th year of Qianlong reign and is now leaking again.

One leak in each of the east and west large sky gutters of the front and rear eaves of Yangxin Hall, one leak in the small sky gutter of the east corridor, one leak in the pillar-hugging of Meiwu, and one leak in the outer eaves of the rear hall corridor.

New Leakage Location:

One leak in the small sky gutter of the front eaves of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 50th year of Qianlong reign, Aug 1785

Leakage Locations: Leakage in various places in the palace, which was renovated in the 49th year of Qianlong reign and is now leaking again. Two leaks in the front eaves of the east warming pavilion of Yangxin Hall, one leak in the large sky gutter of the Tian Di Xiang Ting in the west warming pavilion, and one leak in the west pillar-hugging of Meiwu.

Date: 58th year of Qianlong reign, Jul 1793

Leakage Locations: One leak in the central ridge of Meiwu.

1810 January

Since the twelfth month, auspicious snow has been falling frequently in the capital... On the day of the New Year, heavy and auspicious snow continued throughout the night until dawn.

Date: 16th year of Jiaqing reign, Aug 1811

Leakage Locations: Two leaks in the sky gutter of the front eaves of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 20th year of Jiaqing reign, Aug 1815

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the east and west corridors of the rear hall, and one leak in the front eaves of the west side room.

Date: 21st year of Jiaqing reign, Jul 1816

Leakage Locations: Decay in the board of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall and leakage in the sky gutter.

Date: 3rd year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1823

Leakage Locations: New full leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and new full leakage in the water column of the front eaves of the rear hall.

Date: 5th year of Daoguang reign, Sep 1825

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and full leakage in the east and west corridors of the rear hall.

Date: 7th year of Daoguang reign, Jul 1827

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and leakage in one place on the platform of Meiwu.

1827 December

On the twenty-third day of this month, the capital experienced continuous heavy snowfall throughout the entire day, with an accumulation of more than five inches. This was indeed a rare occurrence in recent times.

Date: 8th year of Daoguang reign, Jul 1828

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 9th year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1829

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and full leakage in the six channels of the front and rear manger.

Date: 10th year of Daoguang reign, Jul 1830

Leakage Locations: Repaired in the 9th year, but now leaking again; compensation is requested for repairs. One leak in the sky gutter on the west side of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

New Leakage Locations: Leakage on the front slope of Yangxin Hall, and full leakage in three rooms of the west side of the rear hall.

Date: 11th year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1831

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and one leak in the east and west manger gutters of the rear hall.

1832

In the previous year (1831), the capital received a snowfall of two to three feet, an occurrence unprecedented in several decades.

Date: 12th year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1832

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall in the west two sections, and two leaks in the east and west manger gutters of the east and west corridors.

Date: 13th year of Daoguang reign, Jul 1833

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 15th year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1835

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 16th year of Daoguang reign, Aug 1836

Leakage Locations: Repaired in the 15th year, but now leaking again. One leak in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and one leak in the main hall of Yangxin Hall.

Repair Method: Replace tiles and beams on the front slope, secure joints with clamps on the rear slope, and apply adhesive to decorative ironwork.

Date: August 1838

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the Tiangou

Date: 20th year of Daoguang reign, 1840

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

Date: 21st year of Daoguang reign, 1841

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in the sky gutter of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall.

——————1840-1842 First Opium War ————————

Date: 12th year of Tongzhi reign, Jul 1873

Leakage Locations: Full leakage in one section of the sky gutter in front of the hugging pavilion of Yangxin Hall, and leakage in the front eaves of Meiwu.

Date: 16th year of Guangxu reign, Aug 1890

Leakage Locations: Leakage in the sky gutter of six sections in front of the hugging pavilion.

Repair Method: Due to leakage in the sky gutter, it is planned to dismantle and repair the sky gutter on the rear slope of the hugging pavilion, replace beams, replace the entire board of the awning gutter, secure joints with clamps on the front slope of the hugging pavilion, and apply decorative ironwork.

Date: 19th year of Guangxu reign, Sep 1893

Leakage Locations: Nine chambers inside Yangxin Hall, with six chambers experiencing full leakage, and six sections in the hugging pavilion experiencing sky gutter leakage.

Repair Method: Both the front slope of the main hall and the rear slope of the hugging pavilion will be dismantled and repaired in two steps, with the main ridge being covered in a traditional manner, and the ridge tiles being adjusted.

Source: First Historic Archives of China, Qing Dynasty Historic Records.