Historians believe that Jinchun Garden was the residence of emperor Xian Feng before he succeeded his father. And it is believed to be the inspiration for the well known essay "The View of the Lotus Pond in the Moonlight," written by Zhu Ziqing.

　 In its early days, the Jinchun Garden was the center of the earliest imperial garden, Xichun Yuan, during the reign of the emperor Kang Xi. Later, at the start if the reign of emperor Dao Guang, Xichun Yuan was divided into two parts, and the buildings in Jinchun Garden were renovated and given new names. According to historical records, the residences in Jinchun Yuan were located separately in two courtyards. In the front courtyard were the House of Zun Xing, the House of Huan Bi, the House of Hua Yun, and the House of Han Chun. The rear courtyard was the central part of the Jinchun Garden, including the House of Jia Dong, the House of Lian Yi, and others. Altogether there were 264 rooms in both of the courtyards.

　 In 1860, the allied forces of Britain and France invaded Beijing and set fire to Yuan Ming Yuan, another famous royal garden. Buildings in the nearby Jinchun Garden were heavily damaged, and Jinchun Garden was left to ruin for nearly 100 years.

　 In the summer of 1927, during one sleepless night, the well-known Professor Zhu Ziqing of Tsinghua, went for a stroll around the lake area to contemplate the tremendous changes occurring in Chinese society. When the lovely landscape caught his attention, he was moved to write the now-classic essay "The View of the Lotus Pond in the Moonlight."

　 Though future administrations hoped to reconstruct the wasteland of Jinchun Garden, they eventually gave up on the plan for various reasons. In 1979, under the state policy to develop the Chinese capital of Beijing, Tsinghua decided to completely rebuild the devastated area. Over the years, Jinchun Garden has been transformed into a scenic spot with historical and cultural significance.