The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was a royal garden during the Qing Dynasty in China, located in the western suburbs of Beijing. Its predecessor was the Qingyi Garden. It is a large-scale landscape garden based on the West Lake in Hangzhou, drawing on the garden design techniques of Jiangnan, and relying on Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain as the base site. It is also the most complete and largest existing royal garden in China, known as the "Royal Garden Museum", and was included in the The World Heritage List in 1998.

Wanshou Mountain Front Mountain Architectural Complex:
Foxiang Pavilion: an octagonal building with four eaves, which is the symbol and high point of the Summer Palace. Climbing the pavilion, you can overlook the lake and mountain scenery of the entire garden.
Paiyun Hall: The grand venue where Empress Dowager Cixi held her birthday celebration.
Long Corridor: With a total length of 728 meters and over 14000 colorful paintings depicting human stories, landscapes, flowers, and birds, it is the "longest gallery in the world".

Kunming Lake Scenic Area:
Seventeen Arch Bridge: Like a long rainbow lying on the waves, connecting the east embankment and Nanhu Island, with 544 stone lions of different shapes on the railing pillars.
Xidi Liuqiao: Built in imitation of the West Lake Su Causeway in Hangzhou, with spring willows and peach blossoms, creating a beautiful artistic conception.
The Stone Boat (Qingyan Boat): a famous water architecture symbolizing the eternal stability of the country.

Houshan Houhu Scenic Area:
Xiqu Garden: Known as the "Garden of Gardens", it is built in imitation of Wuxi Jichang Garden, small and exquisite, full of Jiangnan charm.
Suzhou Street: A palace market built during the Qianlong period, imitating the water towns and markets of Jiangnan, reproducing the ancient commercial style.

A garden painting with distinct four seasons
In spring, there are flowers (peach and magnolia in Xidi Mountain), in summer, there is lotus breeze (lotus flowers in Kunming Lake), in autumn, there are colorful leaves (ginkgo and maple leaves in the back mountain), and in winter, there is clear snow (lakes and mountains covered with ice and snow). It is suitable for all seasons, each with its own charm.