Chinesisches Haus im Park Sanssouci

The Chinese House in Sanssouci Park in Potsdam is a gilded pavilion built between 1755 and 1764, surrounded by life-sized figures of musicians and tea drinkers. From May to October, the interior with its ceiling painting and porcelain collection is open.

Chinese House in Sanssouci Park: 18th Century Chinoiserie

In Sanssouci Park, the Chinese House is one of the most playful buildings of the entire complex. The pavilion is considered an important example of 18th-century European fascination with China. It has little to do with the real China of that time; rather, it shows how Europeans imagined the distant country. This is precisely what gives it its charm.

Master builder Johann Gottfried Büring erected the pavilion between 1755 and 1764 in the Chinoiserie style, a mixture of Rococo ornamentation and elements of Chinese architecture. The floor plan is shaped like a cloverleaf, and in summer, the house served as a royal dining room. Outside, there are life-sized gilded figures of musicians and tea drinkers, and the columns are designed as gilded palm trees.

Ceiling Painting, Porcelain, and a Trip to Potsdam

Three small cabinets surround the central circular hall. The ceiling painting depicts a colorful society with birds, monkeys, and Buddha figures. The European-looking faces of the figures are striking, as the painters only knew China from stories. A collection of Chinese, Japanese, and Meissen porcelains can also be seen.

The Chinese House is open from May to October; the park itself is freely accessible. For visiting several palaces in one day, there is the sanssouci+ ticket, and a free shuttle operates between the Green Gate and the New Palace during the season.