The Hall of Jade Billows

At the northern side of the Kunming Lake, east of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity lies the Hall of Jade Billows. In front of the hall stands two rocks. It is believed that one is male Emperor Guangxu, another is female, his mother-the Empress Dowager Ci'xi, the two rocks face each other day and night and have come to be known as "The Mother and Son Rocks", it seemed that each stone was complaining against the other.

This hall is well known to have served as a prison for Emperor Guangxu for ten years. After the failure of the Reform Movement in 1898. the Empress Dowager Ci'xi put her son, Emperor Guangxu under house arrest in Yingtai (Water Terrace Pavilion) in Zhongnanhai ( the Central South Sea) near the Forbidden City, the Emperor was later moved to the hall of Jade Billows in the Summer Palace and confined there for ten years.

The confined emperor was closely watched, several brick walls were put up and all the back door were sealed. The poor emperor was isolated by those walls, the only outside view he could enjoy was the weeping willow trees in the Perceiving the Spring Pavilion.