Summer Palace
Why the Summer Palace is specialIt is one of the largest, best preserved, and most compelling royal gardens in the world. The Summer Palace boasts many different garden and architectural styles of China, yet the whole is harmonious.
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The Summer Palace has numerous things to do and see. These are the most popular:
Marble Boat (see photo)
The Summer Palace's most famous object. It is neither marble nor boat. It is permanently "docked" on the lake bed next to the shore and is made of stone painted to look like marble.
Long CorridorLong Corridor
A covered walk that runs 728 meters (nearly a half mile) along the lake. Its ceiling and columns are lavishly painted with 10,000 different landscape and animal scenes.
Other popular attractions
They include:
- Seventeen Arch Bridge
Gracefully shaped 200 year old marble bridge.
- Hall of Benevolence & Longevity
Used for state receptions.
- Boat ride
On Kunming Lake.
When to come
The Summer Palace is a favorite summer weekend escape for Beijing residents. To avoid crowds, go on workdays.
Size
It covers some 300 hectares (slightly over a square mile). Shallow lakes compose three quarters of it.
Name
The Summer Palace is Yiheyan in Chinese (loosely translates as "Garden of Nurtured Harmony").
Location
The Summer Palace is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of central Beijing.
Ups and downs
The Summer Palace site has had significant ups and downs over the past three centuries - it became deteriorated or was destroyed then rebuilt several times. Today, the Summer Palace is in a state of beauty and grandeur.
