Beijing: The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, capital city of China. With a total area of 2.9 square kilometers, it is composed of three parts—the imperial palaces, Longevity Hill, and Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace of Beijing began construction in 1750. It was badly damaged during the war in 1860, but was repaired on its original site in 1886.

The Summer Palace(also named “Yiheyuan” in Chinese) is an outstanding example of imperial parks and private gardens of both northern and southern China, and is so far the best preserved and largest of the Chinese imperial parks.

China has long been known worldwide for its gardens, including private gardens and imperial parks, all characterized by the harmony of natural and manmade beauty. The Summer Palace has natural beauty resembling that of the mountains and rivers of northern China and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Its man-made landscapes of the Summer Palace includes the pavilions, the Long Corridor, palaces, temples and bridges and its natural hills and extensive lake surface perfectly and harmoniously combine together, and make it an excellent work of China’s scenery garden and park design.