Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)
- Address:19 Xinjian Gongmen, Beijing
- Hours:Open daily from April 1 to October 31: 6:30am - 6pm, from November 1 to March 31: 7am - 5pm
- Admission:30RMB
11:47 AM Friday, May 25
Clear. Chilly.
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The Summer Palace - also known as Yiheyuan - was built in 1750. In those days, it was called the Garden of Clear Ripples, and was a lakeside oasis where the royal court could escape the dust and heat of the Forbidden City in summer.
It was razed twice by foreign armies and completely rebuilt, most extensively by Empress Dowager Cixi in the 19th century. To fund her projects, she's said to have diverted a bunch of money destined for the Chinese navy. Ironically, one of her grand schemes was a marble boat that sits at the edge of the lake.
The grounds were declared a public park in 1924. These days, the 290 hectares (716 acres) of the 'Gardens of Nurtured Harmony' are madly popular with both tourists and locals.
The gardens are liberally scattered with temples, covered walkways, pavilions and bridges. Longevity Hill, one of the garden's main features, was constructed from the earth excavated when the lake was extended.
Latest Reviews All Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) Reviews »
A very full day and the guide was exceptional. Lunch was fantastic good and plenty of it. Loved all the places we stopped at.
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As a solo female traveller, it was great to be in a group with other American and see these amazing sights. Beijing is a massive city and it can be a challenge getting around, so being on a tour group was certainly a great choice. The sights and info and guide were great and the lunch was very good. The visits to the Jade, Silk etc factories can get old after you have gone more than ocne, but the information and intro is very interesting. Highly recommend the tour and Viator.
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Excellent tour. With foreign tourists down over 80% since 2008, this tour through Viator was like a private tour for 6 + driver + English speaking guide. Guide was very informative and knowledgeable. With just 6 of us in the tour, we could ask a lot of questions to learn more of the city and culture. Lunch was excellent with lots to eat.
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The Summer Palace is located 12km (7.5 miles) northwest of the city centre. You can get there by taking the underground rail to Wudaokou, then jumping on bus 375. You can also arrive by canal boat, or take a taxi (the ride will take about half an hour).
