One-Day Tour of Chongqing Yan Hua Chi (罨畫池)

Yan Hua (罨畫), meaning "colorful painting," refers to paintings with various colors, as explained in Yang Shen'an's Dan Qian Zong Lu. The Yan Hua Chi Garden was first built during the Tang Dynasty, initially called Dong Ting (East Pavilion) or Dong Ge (East Chamber). Yan Hua Chi and its southeastern area were originally the Jun Pu (official garden) of Shu Prefecture, also serving as a post station. At that time, there was no lake or pond. During the Tang Dynasty, the river flowing from the northwest to the southeast of Shu Prefecture city served as the boundary between the rear garden of the Jun Pu and the residential area. The poet Gao Shi mentioned the willow trees planted along the river in his poems. During the Tang Dynasty, Shu Prefecture had a culture of extravagance and love for literature, with a fondness for singing and dancing. Dong Ting gradually evolved into an official garden for local officials of Shu Prefecture to entertain guests and enjoy themselves. In the winter of the first year of Shangyuan in the Tang Dynasty, Pei Di, the then governor of Shu Prefecture, invited Du Fu to see off guests at Dong Ting. Du Fu wrote a poem, "Seeing Off Guests at the East Pavilion of Shu Prefecture and Encountering Early Plum Blossoms, Recalling Pei Di's Poem Sent to Me," which is the earliest record proving that Dong Ting had the characteristics of a garden.