This exquisite palace in Haidian is set at the foot of the Western Hills, surrounded by Kunming Lake. The Summer Palace features some of Beijing's most beautiful Qing dynasty architecture, which can also be seen by climbing nearby Longevity Hill.
The Summer Palace, which has the largest imperial garden in China, was endorsed by UNESCO in 1998 as a world cultural heritage site. The entire place is a de facto museum of China's classical architecture. Housed in these buildings is an immense collection of treasures and cultural artefacts.
The palace's history stretches back to the 12th century, when the Jin dynasty first built a palace named the Golden Hill on the site. In 1750 Emperor Qian Long of the Qing dynasty built the Garden of Clear Ripples here and renamed the hill Longevity Hill to celebrate his mother's birthday.
The original Summer Palace was burnt down by the allied forces of Great Britain and France in 1860. Reconstruction started 25 years later when the Empress Dowager Cixi created the present gardens a few kilometres away from the original site. The reconstruction lasted for ten years and after completion, she renamed the site Yiheyuan - Garden of Peace and Harmony.
Related Information
Website: UNESCO World Heritage Website