About China's Water Fountain

Chinese classical gardens advocate nature, strive to be elegant and quiet, and full of wild interest. In terms of water management in gardens, it attaches great importance to the artistic reproduction of natural water conditions. There are fewer applications for fountains that artificially create dynamic water. "Hanshu·Dianzhi" records: In the Hanshang Forest Garden, there are facilities for "stimulating the river water, the bronze dragon spitting water, and the bronze immortal holding the cup by the water". "The Records of Jia Family" records: "There were double white stone lotus in the imperial soup pool of Huaqing Palace in the Tang Dynasty, and springs gush from the mouth of the urn, and spray on the white lotus." Some waterscapes have been preserved to this day, such as the Huanglong spitting water built in the Huanglong Cave of Hangzhou during the Chunyou period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1241-1252).

In the 18th century, western style fountains were introduced to China. In 1747, the Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty built three fountains, namely "Harmony and Strangeness", "Haiyantang" and "Dashuifa" in the Western Building of the Old Summer Palace. There are ten copper dogs in the central pool of the "Dashui Fa", volleying rapids in their mouths, pointing directly at the copper deer, which is called "hunting dogs competing for deer".

In "Haiyantang", there is an image of the "Chinese Zodiac" wearing an Arhat robe, and each zodiac can spray water to tell the time. This is a manually operated water-lifting machine-the dragon-tail car twists and rotates the water to rise to form high-level water. It is controlled by the machine and sprayed by the zodiac signs every other hour (equivalent to two hours). At noon, twelve Spray water at the same time