The Peak of Chinese Garden Art
Visitor Summary * Location: Western Suburbs of Beijing * Status: UNESCO World Heritage Site (Summer Palace) * Key Feature: The perfect blend of natural landscape and imperial architecture. * Dining Highlight: Special Peking Roast Duck Dinner included.
The Tour Pathway
Arrival: Travel to the western suburbs to enter the Summer Palace, the finest example of classical Chinese garden design.
Explore the Zones: Your tour covers the three distinct areas of the palace:
The Political Area centered on the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity.
The Living Quarters (Hall of Jade Ripples & Hall of Joyful Longevity).
The Scenic Area featuring Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake.
The “Garden of All Gardens”: Continue to Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) to witness the vast scale of this imperial masterpiece.
Culinary Finale: After a day of walking through royal grounds, enjoy a signature Peking Roast Duck dinner.
General Introduction & History
The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, this garden is considered the top classical garden in China.
Landscape: The park is dominated by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, using the distant Western Hills as a dramatic backdrop.
Design: The architecture is designed to blend seamlessly with the mountains and water, creating scenery that changes endlessly as you walk through it.
The Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) While the Summer Palace is about preservation, Yuanmingyuan is about scale and memory.
Composition: It is a massive royal garden complex composed of three parts: Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden, and Qichun (Wanchun) Garden.
Significance: Covering a massive 3.5 square kilometers, it was historically praised as the “Garden of All Gardens” and the model for all garden art.
Attractions & Fun Facts
1. The Three Zones of Power & Leisure
The Summer Palace isn’t just a park; it was a functioning city. The layout clearly divides life into three parts:
Politics: The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity was where the Emperor handled state affairs.
Life: The Hall of Jade Ripples and Hall of Joyful Longevity were the private residences for the Emperor and Empress.
Nature: Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake were purely for tourism and scenery.
2. A Garden of Islands
The Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) is immense. At 3.5 square kilometers, it is larger than the Summer Palace and the Vatican City combined. In its prime, it was famous for its “40 Sceneries,” many of which were recreated from famous landscapes across China.