China Travel > Summer Palace

Summer Palace - China

Six miles (10 km) northwest of Beijing is the Summer Palace (Yihe Yuan) which served the Qing Dynasty as a summer getaway from the heat and confines of the Forbidden City. It was twice rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi once in 1860 following its destruction by French and English troops, and again in 1902 after being plundered by the Boxer Rebellion. In 1888 Cixi embezzled funds meant for the modernization of the Chinese navy to restore the palace. She constructed a marble boat which can be seen in the garden today. It was used for serving tea and entertaining dignitaries.

The palace covers 716 acres, of which three-fourths is water, and is considered the epitome of Chinese gardens. It is comprised of three hills, the largest of which is Longevity Hall, and five gardens. The gardens are arranged to reflect the whole of nature and include water, bridges, temples, walkways and ceremonial hills. Artists designed the gardens so that visitors would experience marvelous views and fine craftsmanship.

The Summer Palace consists of over 3,000 buildings including pavilions, towers, bridges and corridors. It can be divided into four sections: the front hill area, the court area, the front lake area and the back lake area. The East Palace Gate (Gong Dong Men) is the main gate and leads to the official residential halls of the Palace. Located in this area are the Hall of Happiness and Longevity which is where Cixi resided, the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity which was the principal ceremonial hall and contains Cixi’s throne. The Garden of Virtue and Harmony is a 3-storied structure which served as a theater.

The Long Corridor follows Lake Kunming for 2,388 feet and is decorated with thousands of paintings. Suzhou Street, located on the shore of Black Lake, is a row of commercial buildings where Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) and his concubines would shop. Today it houses snack and souvenir shops. A 17-arch bridge connects South Lake Island to the mainland. The bridge is topped with more than 500 stone lions. (343 words)

The Bronze Pavilion is west of the Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha. Weighing 207 tons it is one of the few structures which survived the pillage of foreign invading troops.
In her later years Cixi spent most of her time at the summer palace tending to state affairs and entertaining. Many of the buildings are furnished as they would have been and afford an insight into Chinese history.