The second half of the 19th century was a critical period for China to turn from prosperity to decline, and also lay dormant preparations for its re-emergence.In a period of great historical turning point, the development of the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China was full of complex plots and unknown secrets, with ups and downs, fierce and strange struggles between the palace and the officialdom.The author searched palaces, gardens, and alley in Beijing.Whether they are places of interest or unknown corners, he visited the site again and again.Besides on-the-spot tours, he collected and read relevant historical materials extensively, established his own viewpoints through re-textual research, and was not bound by traditional platitudes; he paid attention to the accumulation of historical details, tried to recreate the atmosphere of the past, and put the historical figures and events in the overall environment for deliberation.Gradually, a group of historical essays, which take travel notes as the carrier, are discussed in the late Qing Dynasty.Fascinating, but also see the edge of historical research.The book is also equipped with a large number of photos, so that readers can intuitively feel the historical atmosphere.