Summer Palace

Located in the western suburbs of Beijing, and 15 kilometers away from central Beijing, Summer Palace (formerly the Qingyiyuan), an imperial garden during Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), covers an area of 3.009 sq. km, three quarters of which is water. Inspired by Hangzhou's West Lake, and adopting design features of gardens from the south of China, Summer Palace consists of the Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, and is a large landscape garden. It is also the best preserved imperial garden, and regarded as "Museum of Imperial Gardens".

Must-see
Seventeen Arch Bridge

Built in the 15th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1750), the over-150-meter-long Seventeen Arch Bridge, is currently the longest bridge in China's imperial gardens. Around the Winter Solstice every year, the setting sun shines the walls of its seventeen arches, presenting a marvelous sight of "golden red light playing through the seventeen arches".
Palace Museum

Palace Museum is the largest and highest-level cultural relics exhibition hall in China's classical gardens. It consists of six thematic exhibition rooms with numerous precious cultural relics of the Summer Palace on display.

Heralding Spring Pavilion

Situated on the island in front of the Hall of Jade Ripples and in the east of Kunming Lake, Heralding Spring Pavilion gives the best view of the Longevity Hill, Kunming Lake, as well as borrowing sceneries from the Jade Spring Hill and Western Hills.
Tips
Travel Routes

Route 1: East Palace Gate—Hall of Benevolence and Longevity—Garden of Virtue and Harmony—Hall of Jade Ripples—Yiyun Hall—Hall of Happiness and Longevity—Long Corridor—Gate that Dispels the Clouds

Route 2: North Palace Gate—Suzhou Street—Main Road for Emperor—Gate Tower of Cloud Retaining Eaves—Marble Boat—Long Corridor—Gate that Dispels the Clouds

Route 3: New Palace Gate—Bronze Ox—East Dike—Wenchang Tower—Hall of Benevolence and Longevity—Garden of Virtue and Harmony—Hall of Jade Ripples—Yiyun Hall—Hall of Happiness and Longevity—Yaoyue Gate

Useful Information

The Summer Palace provides three kinds of guide services: audio guide, smartphone tour guide and tour guides. Audio guide devices, in 19 languages, can be obtained at the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate, North Ruyi Gate, New Palace Gate and South Ruyi Gate (only for retuning devices). As for smartphone tour guide, visitors can follow the WeChat Official Account "Summer Palace" to use the "Guide Map" or "Guide to Summer Palace". Reception desks of tour guides, located at the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate and New Palace Gate, provide guide services in multiple languages including Chinese, English and Russian for domestic and foreign tourists.