The Summer Palace (颐和园, Yiheyuan) is a Qing-dynasty imperial garden about 15 km northwest of central Beijing, built around Longevity Hill and the man-made Kunming Lake and regarded as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape gardening. First built in 1750, largely destroyed in the 1860 war and restored on its original foundations in 1886, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Roughly three-quarters of its area is water, making it a relaxing half-day stroll.
Kunming Lake: a 2.2-sq-km man-made lake whose excavated soil formed Longevity Hill, dotted with three islands and framed by the Seventeen-Arch Bridge
Longevity Hill and the Tower of Buddhist Incense: an octagonal pavilion atop a ~60 m hill offering sweeping views over the lake and gardens
The Long Corridor: a 728 m covered walkway along the lakeshore, the longest of its kind, decorated with over 14,000 Suzhou-style paintings
Seventeen-Arch Bridge and Nanhu Island: a graceful stone bridge linking the east dike to an island, famous for the winter-solstice 'golden light' passing through its arches
Seasonal scenery: lotus blossoms cover parts of the lake in July-August, with spring blossoms and autumn foliage at other times
Good to know
RulesForeign visitors enter with a passport, and daily visitor numbers are capped in peak season, so booking 2-3 days ahead via the official WeChat account or platform is advised. Confirm current prices, hours and booking rules before your visit.
Caution'Black cars' (illegal cabs) and touts selling fake tickets (claiming the attraction is sold out or has long lines) operate near the gates. Buy only through official channels and ignore street ticket sellers.
CautionAcross Beijing's tourist spots, friendly strangers may lure you to a 'tea tasting,' 'tea ceremony' or 'art student gallery,' then hit you with a bill of hundreds to thousands of yuan. Do not follow strangers.
CautionSome taxi drivers refuse the meter or quote inflated flat rates. Use licensed taxis (plates starting '京B') on the meter, or hail via an app such as DiDi.
SeasonSummer (July-August) is hot and humid, while winter is very cold with the lake sometimes freezing. The grounds are large with little shade, so bring water, a hat and sun protection in summer and warm layers in winter.
SafetyNational Day (Oct 1-7), other Chinese public holidays and weekends are extremely crowded. To avoid the crush, arrive right at opening in the early morning or come in the late afternoon.
Practical info
Take Subway Line 4 to Beigongmen station (~5 min walk, handy for the north gate, Long Corridor and Tower of Buddhist Incense) or Xiyuan station (~15 min walk). The park is very large, so wear comfortable shoes and allow at least half a day. Prices and hours differ between peak (Apr-Oct) and off-season (Nov-Mar); confirm the latest details.
On-site reviews📍 Verified on-site
No reviews yet. If you are here, be the first to leave one.
