Summer Palace

 

Basic Facts of the Summer Palace

Chinese Name: 颐和园 Pronunciation: yí hé yuán

Building Time: 1750

Recommended Time for Visit: 2-4 Hours

Occupied Area: About 2.9 square kilometers.

Best Visiting Season: Summer (April to September)

Address: No.23, Gongmen Qianjie，Haidian District，Beijing

Building Function: A summer retreat for Chinese ancient royal families.

 

Entrance Fee

Tickets	Peak Season (April 1st to October 31st)	Low Season (November 1st to March 31st)
Admission Fee	30 yuan	20 yuan
Joint Ticket (Including the admission fee and Garden of Virtue and Harmony, Wenchang Gallery, Buddhist of Incense and Suzhou Street.)	60 yuan	50 yuan
Garden of Virtue and Harmony	5 yuan
Wenchang Gallery	20 yuan
Buddhist of Incense	10 yuan
Suzhou Street	10 yuan

 

• Ticket Free of Charge Policy:

1. Children under 6 years old or 1.2 meters are free of charge.

2. Senior citizens over 60 years old (with an ID card or passport) are free of charge.

*Please change the ticket at the ticket counter with a valid ID card or passport.

 

Service Time

Opening Hours	Peak Season (April 1st to October 31st)	Low Season (November 1st to March 31st)
Gate	6:30-18:00	7:00-17:00
Four Gardens ( Garden of Virtue and Harmony, Wenchang Hall, Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddhaand Suzhou Market Street) in the Summer Palace	8:30-17:00	9:00-16:00
Closing Time	20:00	19:00

 

Brief Introduction of the Summer Palace

Located in the western suburbs of Beijing, the total area of the Summer Palace is about 2.9 square kilometers, three fourth of which are water surface. It is only 15 kilometers away from the center of Beijing. Unlike the modern and fashionable style of central Beijing, the Summer Palace looks like another world, attracting crowds of visitors and making them linger.
 

Originally built in 1750, the Summer Palace was the summer resort of Chinese ancient imperial families. It is roughly dominated by two parts, the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake and it is divided into several sections, each with its distinct function. With the gardens in South China as models, there are over 3,000 various Chinese ancient buildings that house a collocation of over 40,000 kinds of valuable historical relics from each dynasty.
 

The Summer Palace is the largest and the best-preserved imperial garden in the whole world. It is described as a unique masterpiece in the history of garden art at home and abroad. As the great influence on Chinese landscape and horticulture, the Summer Palace is known as “The Museum of Royal Gardens”.

 

History of the Summer Palace

In 1750, the 15th year of the reign of Emperor of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, a lavish imperial garden was started to be constructed to celebrate the 60th birthday of his mother.
 

In 1764, the 29th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the Summer Palace was completed with its former name Qiingyi Garden.
 

In 1860, the Summer Palace, which had stood intact for a century, was set on fire and  destroyed by the Anglo-French Allied Forces.
 

In 1888, it was renamed Yiheyuan (the Summer Palace) and was reserved as a summer retreat for Empress Dowager Cixi.
 

In 1900, it was afflicted with another hit by the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers. A lot of buildings and cultural relics were demolished and looted. It was renovated in 1902.
 

In 1924, it was open to the public as an attraction.
 

In 1961, it was designated the Key national cultural relics protection units by the State Council.
 

In 1992, it was appraised as the most perfectly preserved imperial garden with the richest man-made scenery and most concentrated architecture in the world.
 

In 1998, it was listed in the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
 

In 2007, it was approved by the Chinese National Tourism Administration for the state 5A-class tourist scenic spot.

 

Top Sites to Explore at the Summer Palace

 Longevity Hill

The most spectacular sight in the Summer Palace is the Longevity Hill with a height of 58.59 meters, facing the Kunming Lake. The front area of the Longevity hill is a huge main building complex with the Fragrance of the Buddha Pavilion as the center. Dozens of constructions, exquisite buildings and delicate gardens, are symmetrically laid out. Walking to the top of the hill, people can see a temple made entirely of brick and stone, which is called the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom. Here, one can enjoy the panoramic and magnificent view of the Summer Palace.
 

In contrast to the grand sight of the front hill complex, the rear hill is another different scene. The natural environment with rich forests and strong wild flavor has led to its quiet character. Buildings and their surroundings in the rear hill constitute several delicate and natural gardens, forming a unique flavor. It is a pity that most constructions are destroyed and unable to be repaired due to the war, only a few of which are left, such as the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures and Hall of Increasing Longevity.
 

Kunming Lake

Another place that visitors are often mentioned in the Summer Palace is the Kunming Lake. Located in the center of the Summer Palace, it takes up three fourth of the whole park, making it the largest lake in the imperial gardens of the Qing Dynasty. It is the only surface water source of Beijing City and can be said to be the lifeline of the city.
 

The lake is blue and rippling. Carved with 544 lions in different postures, the 17-Arch Bridge with 150 meters long links the eastern end and connects South Lake Island at its western end. From a distance, it looks like a rainbow above the blue water. The west bank, decorated with a line of weeping willows, divides the lake into three waters of varying sizes, each with a central island. And several buildings are dotted in these three islands.
 

Looking west from the Kunming Lake, the lakeside and the landscape outside the park are integrated with the hill and lake inside the park, which becomes an outstanding example of the classic and unique method of scenery-borrowing in Chinese classical gardens.
 

The Long Corridor

The Long Corridor, another most classical structure in the Summer Palace, is situated in the southern foot of the Longevity Hill, facing the Kunming Lake. It is an excellent observation platform with a panoramic view of the hill and the lake. With 728 meters in length, it links the area where Empress Dowager Cixi handle state affairs with residential and sightseeing areas, known as the longest corridor in Chinese gardens.
 

The exquisite paintings on the corridor structure are ingenious and there are over 14,000 various styles of colorful paintings on each beam of the Long Corridor, including landscapes, flowers, birds, characters’ stories, etc. The figures in the paintings are all from Chinese classics. Thus, it is a cultural relic worthy of attention and preservation. Due to its length and the abundant delicate paintings, the Long Corridor was included in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 as the longest corridor in the world.
 

 Garden of Virtue and Harmony

Garden of Virtue and Harmony is situated in the north of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. Completed in the 17th year of the reign of the Emperor Guangxu, it was a place for Empress Dowager Cixi to enjoy Opera. Its main buildings are the Grand Stage, the Hall of Health and Happiness and the Hall of Celebrating Virtue.
 

The Grand Stage with three stories is 21 meters in height and 17 meters in width, which is the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden theater in China with extremely scientific and artistic value. It is honored as the cradle of Peking Opera. Not only can visitors directly experience the feeling and the scene of Cixi’s watching operas, but also can see a large number of precious articles for daily use of the royal families.
 

 Wenchang Gallery

Wenchang Gallery is the largest and highest level of cultural relics exhibition hall among Chinese classical gardens. There are six special exhibition rooms, showing thousands of fine cultural relics of the Summer Palace from the Shang and the Zhou Dynasties to the late Qing Dynasty. It covers a wide range of categories of Chinese heritage relics. Due to the specific imperial status of the Summer Palace, these artifacts represent the best craftsmanship of each time.
 

Wenchang Gallery also exhibits some of the palace articles of the Qing Dynasty, which are closely related to the life of the emperors and queens. They are of outstanding historical and cultural value and are the most authentic material evidence of Chinese imperial culture.
 

Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha

As the landmark structure in the Summer Palace, the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha was built in 1750, the 15th year of the reign of Emperor of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. On the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, Empress Dowager Cixi would come here to pray and worship Buddha. Like many other buildings in the park, the tower was destroyed by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. And it was rebuilt for a cost of 780,000 taels during the Emperor Guangxu Period, making it the largest project in the park.
 

Being a fine example of Chinese classical architecture, the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha is a magnificent religious building about 40 meters high with a complex internal structure. It is the center of the architectural layout of the Summer Palace, with the Kunming Lake in the south and the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom in the back. The central buildings spread out to the east and west neatly and symmetrically, forming a picture that a myriad of stars surround the moon. That makes the building quite grand and impressive.
 

Suzhou Street

Suzhou Street was built in the reign of Emperor Qianlong, which imitated the style of the water town in south China. As a royal street with a selection of riverside shops, it was designed for Emperors and Queens of the Qing Dynasty to experience the folklife of walking and shopping around the street. There are more than 60 stores in the street, including tea houses, dim sum shops, and so on, making it the largest of its kind.
 

Suzhou Street was open to the public as a tourist attraction in 1990. The most distinctive feature of the shop is that the stuff of the stores is all dressed in Chinese special ancient clothing, which is always catching the eyes of dozens of travelers at home abroad. Suzhou Street is still telling the stories of ancient China with its traditional and unsophisticated look.
 

Clear and Peaceful Boat

Clear and Peaceful Boat is situated in the northwest of Kunming Lake and is close to the west foot of Longevity Hill. Built-in 1755, the boat was made from huge stones with 36 meters in length. It used to be a traditional Chinese architectural style with a wooden pavilion but burned down in the invasion of the Anglo-French Allied Forces. Later, the Empress Dowager Cixi rebuilt it with western design.
 

The Clear and Peaceful Boat is gorgeous and exquisite with windows inlaid, colored glass and with the top decorated with brick carvings. It is now the only western-style structure in the Summer Palace. Seeing from a distance, the boat seems to sail from the south. In addition to its distinct scene, it also provides a great place for tourists to enjoy the sights.

 

Travel Route to Summer Palace

a. Enter from East Palace Gate → Hall of Benevolence and Longevity → Garden of Virtue and Harmony → Hall of Jade Ripples → Yiyun Hall → Hall of Joyful Longevity → Long Corridor → The gate of Dispelling Clouds

b. Enter from North Palace Gate → Suzhou Street → Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha → Hall of Dispelling Clouds → Long Corridor → Hall of Benevolence and Longevity → Yiyun Hall → The Hall of Jade Ripples → The Garden of Virtue and Harmony → The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

c. Enter from Xinjiangongmen Gate(Newly-built Palace Gate) → Bronze Ox → Wenchang Tower → Hall of Benevolence and Longevity → Garden of Virtue and Harmony → Long Corridor → the Gate of Dispelling Clouds → Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha → Suzhou Street

 

How to Reach the Summer Palace

 By Bus

East Palace Gate: Take bus 331, 332, 346, 303,or 584 and get off at Yiheyuan (Summer Palace) Station.

West Gate: Take bus 469 or 539 and get off at the Yiheyuan Ximen (West Gate) Station.

Xinjiangongmen Gate(Newly-built Palace Gate): Take bus 374, 74 or 437, and get off at Xinjiangongmen Station.

North Palace Gate: Take bus 303, 346, 394, 563, 584, or Sightseeing Bus Line 3, and get off at Yiheyuan Beigongmen (North Palace Gate) Station.
 

 By Subway

East Palace Gate: Take line 4 or line 16 and get off at Xiyuan Station. Then walk west about 10 minutes.

North Palace Gate: Take line 4 and get off at Beigongmen Station.

West Gate: Take Western Suburban Line and get off at Yiheyuanximen Station.
 

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园。English: Please take me to the Summer Palace.

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园的东宫门。English: Please take me to the East Palace Gate of Summer Place.

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园的西门。English: Please take me to the West Gate of the Summer Palace.

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园的南如意门。English: Please take me to the South Ruyi Gate of the Summer Palace.

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园的北宫门。English: Please take me to the North Palace Gate of the Summer Palace.

Chinese: 请带我去颐和园的新建宫门。English: Please take me to the Newly-built Palace Gate of the Summer Palace.

If you go to the Summer Palace from the center of Beijing(Tiananmen Square), It takes about 40 minutes(60 yuan).

If you go to the Summer Palace from the Beijing Capital International airport, it takes about 50 minutes(120 yuan).

If you go to the Summer Palace from the Beijing Daxing International airport, it takes about 100 minutes(250 yuan).

If you go to the Summer Palace from the Beijing West Train Station, it takes about 35minutes(60 yuan).