Photography Entrance to the Zoo

A black-and-white photograph showing the façade of the main entrance of the Beijing Zoo. The history of the Beijing Zoo, the oldest in China, dates back to 1906. An imperial palace had stood here since the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and in 1906 the Ministry of Agriculture turned it into an agricultural institute, to develop and research crops, with associated gardens and temples. The site was soon also used as a zoo. Most of the animals were purchased in Germany. They attracted many tourists, including the imperial family. The façade of the zoo is still the same today: it is decorated with rich relief decor with four large dragons. Two flags hang above the entrance, each depicting a dragon. While the dragon is a symbol of the imperial family, the structure of the entrance recalls the influences of Western architecture. Among the zoo’s historic buildings is the Changguanlou 暢觀樓, the baroque country palace of Dowager Empress Cixi (reigned 1891–1908). It is one of the best preserved Western-style palaces in China.

The photograph is the 116th of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Eingang des Zoologischen Gartens. (DZ, MV)