The Summer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1998) in Beijing with a rich history that dates back to the early twelfth century. The palace was built on a water reservoir called Kunming Lake, which occupies the bulk of the 1.1 square mile historical location. The lake was excavated to create a water reservoir in the late thirteenth century to create a water source for the palace. The fill dirt was piled on along the north edge of the dig location creating a hill approximately 200 feet high. This hill became known as Longevity Hill. Buildings and structures are tiered along the side of this large hill.
The Summer Palace offers an interesting walk along Kunming Lake, with a series of buildings that include a courthouse, library and living quarters for the royal family. The lakeside walk is primarily by way of the covered structure known as the long corridor which is 728 meters long. The corridor is covered in paintings that depict various places and events in Chinese history. At the far end of the corridor are longevity hill, various gardens, and a stone boat made of marble. There was once a wooden boat at this location, replaced by a non-seaworthy marble boat when the original burned. Boat rides on smaller Dragon Boats can be purchased for a small fee at the docks. The Dragon Boat runs CNY 10 or about $1.50 US. There are also pedal boats for rent (CNY 40/$6.00 for a four seater).
Please enjoy these photos taken from my trip to the Summer Palace:
Qilin Statue guarding Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Dragon Statue - East Gate
Phoenix Statue - East Gate
Pedal Boats
Cloud Dispelling Gate
Tower of Buddhist Incense
Stone Boat
Dragon Boats
