Summer Palace
颐和园
A Qing imperial garden built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, with its Long Corridor, Buddha Fragrance Pavilion and Seventeen-Arch Bridge. It is a masterpiece of classical Chinese garden design.
The Summer Palace is the best-preserved imperial garden of the Qing dynasty. It began as the Garden of Clear Ripples built by the Qianlong Emperor. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi diverted naval funds to rebuild it. It covers about 3 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water, and was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1998. The classic route starts at the East Palace Gate, passing Renshou Hall, the Dehe Garden Grand Theater and Leshou Hall (Empress Dowager Cixi's bedchamber). Continue along the 728-meter Long Corridor, with its 14,000 painted scenes, to Paiyun Hall. Climb the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion on Longevity Hill for a panoramic view of Kunming Lake. Then walk west from the Marble Boat along the West Causeway, whose six bridges are modeled on the Su Causeway in Hangzhou, to South Lake Island. Cross the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and exit through the new palace gate. The whole visit takes about 4 hours. Around the winter solstice, at about 4 p.m., you can watch the 'golden light shining through the arches' at the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Admission is RMB 30 in peak season (April–October) and RMB 20 off-season. The combined ticket, which includes Dehe Garden, the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Suzhou Street and Wenchang Courtyard, costs RMB 60 in peak season. Book on the official website or through the 'Summer Palace' WeChat account. Take Metro Line 4 to Beigongmen station (north entrance, where you can visit Suzhou Street first) or Xiyuan station (East Palace Gate). Boating on Kunming Lake costs RMB 40–80 per hour in summer, and the ice rink opens in winter. The park is large, so wear comfortable shoes, or rent a bicycle and ride outside the park to the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan).
Opening hours
Peak season 06:30–18:00 (inner garden 08:30–17:00); off-season 07:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
- Peking University
- Tsinghua University
- China National Botanical Garden (North) & Wofo Temple
- Central Radio & TV Tower
- Beijing Planetarium
- Beijing Zoo
- Fragrant Hills Park