There are records of Imperial parks and enclosures from earliest times. The legendary model of the ideal sovereign, Wen Wang of Zhou (app. 1150 BC), was said to have a preserve in which wildlife and birds flourished to the benefit of the whole kingdom (Shi Jing, Da Ya, Ling Tai. Karlgren no. 242: 196–7). Under a particularly strong ruler, these preserves could cover a significant area; in 138 BC,
... [Show full abstract] the emperor Han Wudi expanded his preserve to cover an area estimated to be 100 li (50 km) from east to west, and 50 li (25 km) from north to south (Schafer, 1968: 327). Han Wudi’s preserve was noted because it was unusually large. Whatever the size of these preserves, they were limited in number, serving as symbolic and ritual enclosures, not as protected areas of wilderness. They offered a setting for official functions, they supplied animals for religious sacrifices, and they provided an area for the relaxation of the Imperial family. At a more symbolic level, the preserves were stocked with plants and animals from all parts of the empire as well as from foreign countries, representing a microcosm of the world over which the emperor held sway.1