In Imperial Jehol

Several prestigious buildings can be seen in the black and white photograph. The roofs are covered in snow. The buildings are located by a lake, in whose water they are reflected.

Count Karl von Luxburg likely captured the photograph during a six-week journey in the autumn of 1905, which took him to notable locations such as the Great Wall and the Gobi Desert. On his return to Beijing, he stopped in the mountain town of Jehol (Chengde), a popular summer retreat for the emperors of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) for relaxation and hunting. In his accounts, Count Karl noted that part of the imperial palace he visited, and possibly photographed, was already in ruins.