A beautiful imperial garden and summer retreat with stunning lake views and traditional pavilions
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A comprehensive guide to the Summer Palace, one of China's most beautiful imperial gardens.
The Summer Palace, located in the western suburbs of Beijing, is a vast imperial garden complex and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally built in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty, it served as a summer retreat for emperors and their families to escape the heat of the capital.
Covering an area of 290 hectares, including a 70-hectare lake, the Summer Palace is renowned for its harmonious blend of natural scenery and traditional Chinese architecture. It features numerous pavilions, halls, bridges, and gardens, all arranged around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill.
The Summer Palace is often praised as the epitome of Chinese garden design, showcasing the philosophy of "borrowing scenery" (jiing) where the natural landscape is integrated with man-made structures to create a seamless and picturesque environment.
The Summer Palace is best explored by following a route that covers the main scenic areas. Start at the East Gate and proceed to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (Renshoudian), the main administrative building where the emperor handled state affairs.
From there, visit the Hall of Jade Ripples (Yulantang), the emperor's living quarters, and the Long Corridor (Changlang), a 728-meter covered walkway with over 14,000 painted scenes.
Continue to the Marble Boat (Shifang) on the western shore, then climb Longevity Hill to reach the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge), the highest point in the garden offering panoramic views of the entire complex.
Finally, enjoy a boat ride on Kunming Lake to experience the garden from a different perspective, and visit the Seventeen-Arch Bridge (Shiqikong Qiao) connecting the eastern shore to Nanhu Island(South Lake Island).
The images on the right show 4 route maps, including a simplified version, in-depth tour, etc. Please refer to them.
Summer Palace Route Map (2-4 Hours)
Summer Palace, HaidianNo.19, New Jiangongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
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