The Summer Palace in Beijing is one of the most significant cultural and historical landmarks in China which is a masterpiece of Chinese architecture and landscaping and can be considered one of the symbols of Chinese culture. The Summer Palace is located in the Haidian District of Beijing and covers almost an area of 3 square kilometers, including a large lake, gardens, palaces, and other structures. It is a perfect example of how the Chinese emperors used nature and art to create a harmonious and beautiful environment. The palace is a popular tourist attraction and one of the most amazing facts was for me about the man-made lake which is insane in size and the overall landscape has been planned in a spectacular way with floral and natural beauty.
As usual before entering the place I try to learn some basic information on the way to a new place or ask my tour group members who know better. So, I have come to know that it was first constructed during the middle of the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty by Emperor Qianlong. The palace was built as a living place for the emperor and his family to enjoy a comfortable life in the extreme heat of the summer season though summer is not so long in Beijing. The palace was destroyed in 1860 by the British and French troops during the Second Opium War but it was later rebuilt and restored at the end of the 19th century.
It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered one of the most beautiful and well-preserved imperial gardens in the whole world which is really a great place to observe. The Summer Palace is not only a beautiful tourist attraction, but it also holds great cultural value for the Chinese people. The palace has been visited by numerous world leaders, including Queen Elizabeth II, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama after which played an important role in the opening up of China to the rest of the world. It is undoubtedly a magnificent cultural and historical landmark in Beijing that reveals the beauty of traditional Chinese architectural concepts and the passion for making beautiful landscapes by preparing beautiful gardens. The palace is a must-visit destination for anyone who is interested in Chinese culture and history.
The Palace is famous for its architectural beauty with its colorful designs and paintings everywhere. The man-made lake called Kunming Lake is a large lake that covers almost three-fourths of the entire park. There are several sections like the Garden of Virtue and Harmony that feature a number of structures, including the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, the Hall of Jade Ripples, and the Tower of Buddhist Incense though I don't recognize them properly as me with two of my colleague were not so expert with the structures here.
When we enter the main gate the after the ticket checking, there were so many people and the entrance was really very crowdy. The entry bridge with the two-sided amazing view will make you happy with the first glance of the royal surrounding there.
After this second gate, we come to the third gate area before which the way was looking a narrower one with the beautifully surrounding rows of trees.
Also, there were some buildings on both sides wrapped with colorful paintings and designs.
After this area, we needed to climb up a long way o reach the main basement of this section of Longevity Hill and the Wanshou Shan area starts.
As this place is so huge and we have limited time we start from the Longevity Hill area and finish at the marked way as in the figure shows. In this way, we have covered a lot of sections with different exhibitions of old monuments and parts of the old construction in which area was not allowed to take pictures!
Most importantly from this higher position, the surrounding view of Beijing city was nice and the natural landscape was eye-cathing!
Also, the building roofs have traditional decorations with different animals and sculptures which will definitely attract you. The reason behind this is to protect the royal house and the more royal position will have more characters to the corner section of the roof.
Also, the color combination of the age-old buildings is fascinating that is seen everywhere. Every part of the building has some unique patterns and is designed perfectly to make its appearance as beautiful as possible.
Also, there was the rocky area where the Buddhist temple and some structures appeared that are unknown to me but they seem to be very beautiful also.
We find a walk away through them to climb up to the top and then the next part of the whole area will start.
This section is a crowdy area as it is near the entry point and the later section looks like empty as the complete area is so huge and the only way to visit everywhere is by walking!
The Summer Palace is not only the home of a number of palaces and pavilions, including the Hall of Joyful Longevity, the Hall of Dispelling Clouds, and the Tower of Fragrance but also it has some natural beauty with thousands of flowers and other trees.
Some walking areas among these green trees will give you walking in the forest. I enjoyed the walking among such a beautiful paths almost whole time there.
After the forestry way down from the hill we came to the front of the huge lake and see again a lot of people walking around. There is a long resting corridor for visitors with thousands of paintings on the roofs.
This is one of the most impressive architectural features of the palace which is the longest-covered walkway in the world. The corridor is adorned with more than 14,000 paintings and features a series of pavilions and halls. It is a popular spot for visitors to stroll and admire the beautiful paintings and scenery. I have noticed many children exploring them and trying to connect the stories.
One of the most famous structures in the Summer Palace is the Marble Boat. The Marble Boat is a pavilion built on Kunming Lake, and it is made entirely of marble. The Marble Boat is a popular spot for tourists to take photos, and it is considered to be one of the most iconic structures in the palace.
The Summer Palace also features a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Western-style buildings in some areas. There were some souvenir shops selling some beautiful showpieces related to Beijing city and the summer Palace. The total area is surrounded by a number of pavilions, halls, bridges, and gardens, creating a beautiful and harmonious landscape.
It is indeed a breathtaking palace complex located in Beijing that was originally built in the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century but the beauty has crossed its time limit undoubtedly.
The big lake is also surrounding the whole area with some canal boat-way where the tourists can enjoy the scenic views.
The Summer Palace is mostly popular for its beautiful lakes and pavilions with the amazing landscape of nature and mountains as well as its rich history and cultural significance.
Kunming Lake is the center of the Summer Palace and covers an area of approximately 2.2 square kilometers of the total area. The lake is surrounded by hills and pavilions, creating a picturesque scenery. Visitors can also take a boat ride on the lake or hike along the shore to enjoy the beautiful views. Also the walkers can cross a number of beautiful bridges and have the different angles of views of those beautiful buildings.
Here, we saw a 100-year-old steamer gifted to the Chinese emperor by Japan which was protected here. That boat was the first developed engine boat in China and a lot of crew and engineers were brought here to assemble it for the operation.
Also, some exhibition hall displays some relics of architectural beauty there which bear the long history of Chinese tradition and culture.
The beauty of the reflection of the buildings on the water's surface makes for an amazing view. The lower and few ripples make the scene more attractive here.
The greenish roads through the lake and lakesides have become more beautiful with the new leaves in this spring season.
Definitely you will be lost in such a beautiful place!
The Seventeen-Arch Bridge is a beautiful bridge that spans Kunming Lake. The bridge is adorned with stone lions, dragons, and other decorative features, creating a grand and majestic atmosphere.
The symbolic view of the bridge changes every season of the year. And I have seen great rowdiness there. Though there was a further section to explore but we have a time limitation and it was already late and we finished our trip there.
In conclusion, the Summer Palace is a masterpiece of Chinese architecture and landscaping capability from early history. It is a perfect example of how the Chinese emperors used nature and art to create a harmonious and beautiful environment. The palace is a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Chinese culture and history.
I hope you like my blog about my experience in the Summer Palace in Beijing and I am inviting you to get the experience in my upcoming blogs. And if you have any kinds of queries, you can ask me in the comments. I will try to answer at my level best.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention, I will catch you at the next one.
Have a great day!
