The Summer Palace "Strolling Through a Picture" Scenic Area recently reopened to the public following the completion of renovations.

The Summer Palace "Strolling Through a Picture" Scenic Area recently reopened to the public following the completion of renovations.

The second floor of Chenghui Tower offers a particularly open vantage point and is a popular place for visitors to gather.

The tower's eight pillars act like picture frames, each with its own unique view stretching out in every direction. To the south, visitors can catch a glimpse of Kunming Lake, with Yuquan and Xishan Mountains waiting in the west, and 4 pm is a good time for guests to catch the sunlight shining in and take a silhouette.

The buildings in the "Strolling Through a Picture" Scenic Area cover a total of 1,021 square meters and are connected by climbing verandas. Stacked stones combined with pine and cypress serve to delineate the structure into levels, within which the landscape can vary greatly.

The garden at the south of the Mountain Tower (Aishan lou), the Autumn Tower, and the Stone Archway make up the first level. At the center is the eight-sided Chenghui Tower, bordered by the Mountain Tower to the east and the Autumn Tower to the west.

At the heart of the second level stands the main hall of the "Strolling Through a Picture" Scenic Area, which is surrounded by two encircling climbing corridors.

The repairs to the Summer Palace "Strolling Through a Picture" building complex mark the first large-scale renovations to be undertaken since 1985.

The "Strolling Through a Picture" Scenic Area is currently open from 8:30 to 17:00 in the off-season (November 1 to March 31), and from 8:00 to 18:00 during peak visiting months (April 1 to October 31). No additional ticket purchase is required to visit the area.

(Source: Haidian District People's Government of Beijing Municipality)