The Summer Palace

halmester's picture

Location

Beijing
China
39° 59' 59.6508" N, 116° 16' 26.1552" E
CN
General info: 

The Summer Palace is the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China. It is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces that fully radiates the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens.

The construction of the palace started in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake which was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou. Later on the palace became the main residence of royal members in the end of the Qing Dynasty.

In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace private://a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.private://

Longevity Hill is adorned with an ensemble of grand buildings. The focal point of the buildings is the 41 meters high Tower of Buddhist Incense that is built on a 20-meter-tall stone base.

Getting there: 

• To East Gate at Tongqing St. and Yiheyuan St.: Beijing Subway Xiyuan Station (Line 4); Beijing Bus routes 209, 330, 331, 332, 346, 394, 579, 601, 608, 683, 696, 718
• To North Gate at Yiheyuan Rd. and Qinglongqiao East St.: Beijing Subway Beigongmen Station (Line 4); Beijing Bus routes 303, 330, 331, 346, 375, 384, 498, 563, 601, 608, 683, 696, 697, 718, 特5, 特10.
• To West Gate at Jinhe Rd. and Yiheyuan Ximen Rd.: Beijing Bus routes 469, 539

Costs: 

Entrance Fee:
Nov.1 - Mar.31 20 CNY
Apr.1 - Oct.31 30 CNY

Opening Hours:
Nov.1 - Mar.31 7:00-17:00
Apr.1 - Oct.31 6:30-18:00

You might be interested in

Stockholm City Hall or Stadshuset as the Swedes call it, is the seat of the local government, but more importantly, it is the place where The Nobel Prize ceremony is held every year.

The world’s first open-air museum, Skansen, has become the synonym for places of its sort all over the world. It was opened in the late 19th century as an homage to the decaying lifestyle of Sweden.

The Ericsson Globe is the national arena of Sweden and the official venue of the Swedish hockey team. It is the part of the biggest model of the solar system in the world.

Sentosa Island is a resort getaway just 500m off the Singapore coast. The island is literally packed with activities&attractions planned to give visitors a break from routines.

Next best thing to flying a Boeing 737 is to fly the full scale simulator. Here you´ll have the chance to experience what it feels like to be the captain of a commercial jet airliner.

Orchard Road is the top spot when it comes to shopping and entertainment in Singapore. It is also a major attraction for those admiring architecture of this part of the world.