Summer Palace

A World Cultural Heritage site, along with Tiananmen Square, a Beijing landmark, it shares the memory of the capital. The Summer Palace, with its shimmering Kunming Lake, connects three centuries of dynasties' rise and fall. This largest existing imperial garden serves as a testament to Emperor Qianlong's filial piety in celebrating his mother's birthday and also served as a summer palace rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi in the late Qing Dynasty. Its architectural design embodies the wisdom of gardening, "though man-made, it appears to have been created by nature."

 

Starting north from Deshengmen, a classic Beijing tourist route, the 293-hectare Summer Palace unfolds a fairyland-like layout of "one pond and three mountains." The Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion complex, situated in front of Longevity Hill, showcases its hierarchy with a nine-bay, double-eaved hip roof, similar in scale to Tiananmen Square. Its eight-sided, three-story, pointed-roofed pavilion echoes the corner towers of the Forbidden City. Over 14,000 Suzhou-style paintings adorn the beams of the Long Corridor, depicting scenes from "Dream of the Red Chamber" and the Ten Scenic Spots of West Lake. It's a truly moving gallery of Chinese culture.

The Six Bridges on Kunming Lake's West Causeway deliberately mimic the Su Causeway in Hangzhou, while the number of arches in the Seventeen-Arch Bridge alludes to the "Nine Heavens"-a design similar to the "Nine-Five Supremes" design of the Tiananmen Gate, which boasts a width of nine bays and a depth of five bays. Recommended highlights on Beijing study tours include the Bronze Bull and the Farming and Weaving Scene, which reveal the emperor's emphasis on agriculture.

The Qingzhixiu Stone in front of the Leshou Hall records Emperor Qianlong's willingness to demolish the city wall to transport the "Stone of Destruction." The brick walls and prison windows of the Yulan Hall capture the 1,898 days and nights of Emperor Guangxu's imprisonment following the Hundred Days' Reform. The rosewood throne in the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity witnessed the negotiations of the Boxer Protocol and is now a must-see photo spot for budget Beijing tour groups.

Of particular note are the over 2,000 plaques and couplets within the park. Among them, the "Cloud-Splendid Jade Palace" archway, inscribed by Empress Dowager Cixi, forms a calligraphic antithesis on the north-south axis with the "Outer Golden Water Bridge" at Tiananmen Square. The philosophical themes of Zhiyu Bridge in the Garden of Fun and Fun subtly complement the traditional admonitions of "Waiting for You to Leave" and "Waiting for You to Return" on the Tiananmen stele.

A modern Beijing travel guide will highlight highlights of different seasons: April sees the West Bank shimmering with peach trees, July sees the lake covered in lotus ripples, October sees the ginkgo trees at Houhu Lake gilded with gold, and the winter solstice ice rink recreates the spectacular "Taiye Ice Skating." The newly built Wenchangyuan Museum features a permanent exhibition titled "Modern Chinese History from the Perspective of the Summer Palace." Through artifacts like a model of Empress Dowager Cixi's train carriage, it reveals the historical connection between the Xiyuan Railway and Zhengyangmen Railway Station.

Beijing tourism experts recommend visiting the park early in the morning. After touring the main route, which runs from East Palace Gate to Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, Hall of Jade Ripples, Hall of Joyful Longevity, Long Corridor, and Pavilion of Buddhist Incense, you can take a boat directly to Nanhu Island to watch the sunset over the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Among the park's six specialty teahouses, Tingli Pavilion's imperial pastry set menu will transport your taste buds through time.