北京公園的先聲——作爲遊賞場所與文化空間的萬牲園

The Zoological Garden as the Embryonic Form of Beijing Parks:The Recreational Place and Cultural Space

"萬牲園"的概念自十九世紀中期起進入遊歷歐美的國人視野,從最初對於珍禽奇獸的獵奇,到將其放置在公園的框架之內,認知其作爲新型公共空間對於市政和市民的意義。這種思路在晚清倡設、建造和使用北京萬牲園的過程中一以貫之,萬牲園實際上是被輿論和公衆作爲翹首以盼的公園,而非單純的動物園來期待和接受的。因此,可以說萬牲園是北京公園的先聲,它在許多層面決定了民國北京公園的面貌。民國時期北京公園一些最重要的特質,在此皆已初露端倪。作爲晚清北京新興的公共空間,萬牲園開啓了北京公園嘗試養成現代的休閑理念和生活方式,以及現代的公共文化和市民精神的努力。

Since the middle of the 19 th Century,the Chinese intellectuals travelling abroad began to introduce the concept of Zoological Garden into China.Despite their initial interest in the exotic animals of Zoological Garden,they gradually recognized its significance of providing public space for citizens and regarded it as one kind of Public Park.This understanding of Zoological Garden had been carried out through the whole process of building and using the Zoological Garden in Late Qing Beijing.Actually it was regarded as a park rather than simply a zoo.Therefore,being the embryonic form of Republican Beijing parks,the Zoological Garden had set many important rules for them.As the emerging public space of Late Qing Beijing,the Zoological Garden initiated the attempts to cultivate modern lifestyle,modern public culture and modern citizenship,which were succeeded by the parks of Republican Beijing.