Built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong and later made famous as the personal residence of Empress Dowager Cixi, the Summer Palace is Beijing’s finest surviving imperial garden. It spans over 3 square kilometres, 75% of it water, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
The architecture is extraordinary and massive. Painted pavilions, moon gates, and the 728-metre long corridor that runs along the northern shore of Kunming Lake, every single beam decorated with miniature scenes from Chinese folklore.
The star of the show personally though, is the seventeen-arch bridge. It is a 150-metre marble span connecting the eastern shore to South Lake Island. It’s the longest bridge in any Chinese imperial garden, and it photographs beautifully from almost any angle. A tip: enter via the New Palace Gate (Xinjiangongmen), the one closest to it. You’ll reach the lake’s edge quickly without trekking through the entire grounds first.
Skip the ferry. Rent the electric boat.
The large public ferries run point-to-point across the lake bringing tourists to different spots across the garden at around ¥40 per person per journey, and there’s also a hop-on-hop-off pass. But neither is worth it in my opinion. Instead, do rent one of the small six-person electric boats (¥200/hour, with a ¥400 deposit).
The controls are simple, with almost no experience needed. Life jackets are provided on board so do look out for it (it was hung from the ceiling). You set your own pace, drift past the Marble Boat, circle the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, and take in Longevity Hill from the water. All the highlights, none of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the promenade which makes it so comfortable.
One more thing: avoid the holiday rush
My family and I enjoyed exploring the Summer Palace, but it’s also probably because we went on a clear and calm day, two days before the long labour day weekend. The crowds were considerably building with both local and foreign tourists, but it was definitely still manageable. During the holidays itself, it can get exhausting because of the crowd but nonetheless, I do believe a visit to the summer palace is a must for all when in Beijing.
101reasons.blog 