Culture insider: Explore Emperor Qianlong's private garden

4. Interior decoration in Qianlong Garden:

The interior finish inside the four core buildings in Qianlong Garden was completed by craftsmen in South China and they were famous for their fine and smooth craftsmanship. Therefore, the interior decoration of these buildings is delicate and elegant as they integrated special techniques of inlay and carving.

Tieluo, or hand-painted wallpaper, was commonly used for interior decoration in the court in the Qing Dynasty and can be largely seen in the imperial palaces. However, tieluo was tailor made according to the environment, location and space, and would not be completed if it left its original place.

A tieluo shows young princes and imperial concubines playing in the garden. Collection from the Palace Museum [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]