Originally
known as the "Garden of Clear Ripples", the Summer Palace(Yiheyuan)
is a magnificent imperial garden located 12 km west of Beijing
City.
Summer Palace is the largest ancient preserved garden in China
and a former summer retreat for Emperors and the chosen few!
The site includes more than 100 ancient style pavilions, mansions,
towers, halls, temples, bridges and an enormous clear water
lake. What is most enjoyable about the Summer Palace however,
is that it is simply a gorgeous place to relax, escape the
smoke and crowds of the Beijing city and spend an afternoon walking.
That said however, one could just as easily spend one week
out here as one afternoon! Given the sheer size of the place
(occupying an area of 290 acres) the Summer Palace is as vast
as it is spectacular. This is great though, as it means you
get the rare chance in Beijing, to lose the crowds and clear
the cobwebs from your mind!
The
original Summer Palace and grounds were destroyed by the allied forces
of Great Britain and France in 1860. However, the Empress
Dowager Cixi liked the site so much that she used the funds
for creating a modern navy, to reconstruct her favorite retreat!
The Empress didn't have much luck however, and the
Palace and grounds were destroyed again in 1900. Two years
later the Summer Palace was restored to the scale and design it is
today. The Eastern Palace Gate is the main entrance to the
Summer Palace and the arrival point where buses and taxis
stop. The opening in the center used to be exclusively for
the emperor and empress. Entrance today is RMB 45 and you
can now walk through any of the openings in the gateway!
The
Summer Palace includes many interesting and spectacular sites.
For detailed information on what to see and do at the Palace,
click below! It's best to spend at least an afternoon or morning
here in order to really appreciate the beauty of the place
and do it justice. There are also shops and various restaurants
and tea-houses dotted about the Palace.
How
to get to Summer Palace : Buses 301, 303, 330, 332, 333, 346, 362, 374,
904, 905 all stop at the East Palace Gate.
Alternatively you could cycle! The Summer Palace is about
1-2 hours by bike from the city center. |
