Summer Palace History
The Summer Palace (Yíhé Yuán in Chinese meaning the Garden of Nurtured Harmony) is a palace dominated by the 60-meter-high (197 feet) Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake.
The building, constructed in 1750, covers an area of 70,000 square meters and contains a variety of palaces, gardens, and other structures.
Notable structures in the Summer Palace include the 17-arch bridge with 500 engraved lions, the Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Tower of Buddha Incense, the Garden of Harmonious Interests, and the Jade Belt Bridge.
The Duobao Glazed Pagoda is located at the top of Longevity Hill and the Marble Boat is at the foot. About 14,000 paintings, each completely unique, decorate the Summer Palace, many of them on the “Long Corridor” walkway along the lake.
The Summer Palace of Beijing is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
Visitor Information
The Summer Palace is open for visits every day starting 8:30 AM until 16:30 in the winter and 17:30 in the summer.
Entrance costs between 30 yuan and 40 yuan depending on the season. You can purchase a map of the palace for an additional 10 yuan. Guided tours cost 100 yuan.