The Summer Palace in Beijing, China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 720 acres. Built in the mid-18th century, it features traditional Chinese gardening techniques and Kunming Lake. The palace was attacked twice but rebuilt each time. It became a summer residence for the imperial family after restoration by Dowager Empress CiXi. It opened to the public in 1911 and officially became a park in 1924. It is a popular tourist attraction with pedal boats, souvenir shops, and restaurants.
The Summer Palace is a large imperial palace in Beijing, China. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1998. The Summer Palace grounds cover approximately 720 acres, or just over one square mile (2.9 square km).
The Summer Palace was built in the mid-18th century and at that point was known as the Garden of Clear Waves. The Summer Palace uses traditional Chinese gardening techniques, using various ponds, paths and rocks mixed with flora to create a unique garden style.
Most of the area of the Summer Palace is covered by Kunming Lake. This lake was created by the original architects of the Summer Palace to recreate the West Lake in Hangzhou. Earth excavated to create Kunming Lake was piled up to build Longevity Hill, a 200-foot (60 m) earthen structure. More than 100,000 workers worked on the construction of the Summer Palace and the excavation of Kunming Lake.
The name of the Summer Palace derives from the fact that it was later used by the imperial family as a summer retreat from the Forbidden City. The Summer Palace was attacked when the British and French attacked Beijing in 1860, and was attacked again during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. In both cases the Summer Palace was rebuilt shortly after, to the same specifications as the previous structure , albeit with new additions every time.
The first time, the funds for the restoration of the Summer Palace, undertaken by the Dowager Empress CiXi, were financed with money originally intended to finance the Chinese navy. It was after this restoration that the Summer Palace became the new summer residence of the imperial family. CiXi poured a staggering amount of money into her newly imagined palace, and the grounds became a symbol of imperial excess. Some relics from that era, including the infamous Marble Boat, remain in the Summer Palace and can be viewed by visitors.
In 1911, following the revolution of that year, the Summer Palace was opened to the public for viewing. In 1924, the Summer Palace was officially turned into a park and has been a popular attraction for Chinese and foreign visitors ever since.
The Summer Palace is considered by many to be one of China’s top tourist attractions, trailing only the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China. The terrains are quite open and can be freely explored in many different ways. One of the most popular is the pedal boat, which can be rented along the lake and taken anywhere on the lake. The grounds also feature a strong tourist infrastructure, with souvenir shops, restaurants and information points. Reaching the Summer Palace is a simple matter of hiring a taxi to reach the outskirts of Beijing.
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