The Summer Palace, originally the palace and garden of the Qing Dynasty emperors, is also known as the Qingyi Garden which was built on the basis of Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain, following the design techniques of Jiangnan gardens.
The Summer Palace is a very large and well preserved royal garden in China, with extremely elegant scenery and many precious cultural relics. And it is known as the "Royal Garden Museum".
Regional Overview
The Summer Palace has a grand scale and it can be divided into three areas: a political activity area centered around the Renshou Hall; Empress and Empress living areas with Yulan Hall and Leshou Hall as the main body; A garden tourist area mainly located along the corridor, at the back of the mountain, and in the western area.
About three-quarters of the entire park is occupied by Kunming Lake, and there are over a hundred buildings such as pavilions, platforms, towers, pavilions, corridors, and pavilions by the lake. Among them, the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion, Long Corridor, Stone Boat, Suzhou Street, and Seventeen Arch Bridge are all well-known representative buildings and must not be missed when visiting the Summer Palace.
Boating on Kunming Lake
Visiting the Summer Palace, in addition to visiting the magnificent palace buildings, taking a boat in the scenic area and boating on Kunming Lake, is not only relaxing and enjoyable, but also enjoyable for sightseeing.
There are 8 cruise ship docks in the park: Bafang Pavilion, Wenchang Pavilion, Yulan Hall, Paiyun Hall, Shizhang Pavilion, Tongniu, Shifang, and Nanhu Island. There are 5 different types of cruise ships: pedal boats, hand rowing boats, electric boats, dragon boats, and large art boats. The prices and routes of cruise ships vary, and each can take what they need.
Catering in the park
The Summer Palace has a large area and a complete tour takes at least 4-5 hours. I'm tired and hungry from wandering, so I can sit down and replenish my energy. There are three fast food booths in the park, located in Zhichun Pavilion, Paiyun Hall East Room 9, and Shizhang Pavilion. They mainly serve daily meals and pasta, and the prices are relatively reasonable. If you want to cater to the occasion, there is also an old restaurant specializing in imperial cuisine in the park: Tingli Restaurant, where you can taste palace style food, but the price is more expensive than daily dishes.
Park Tour Service Project
1. Ticket Purchase Service: Tickets can be purchased from all seven gate areas of the Summer Palace, including the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate, and newly built Palace Gate areas.
2. Cruise ship rental:
Cruise ferry route: Paiyun Temple ←→ Nanhu Island; Shifang ←→ Nanhu Island; Copper Bull ←→ Stone Boat; Cruise ferry price: 20 yuan/person.
Location for renting a small cruise ship: 1. Bafangting (hand rowing, pedal rowing); 2. Wenchang Pavilion (electric boat, pedal boat); 3. Yuliantang (pedal boat); 4. Paiyun Hall (electric boat, pedal boat); 5. Yuzao Pavilion (electric boat, pedal boat);
Small boat rental price: Hand rowing boat: 60 yuan/hour (4 seats); Bicycle: 60 yuan/hour (4 seats); 80 yuan/hour (6 seats); Battery boat: 120 yuan/hour (6 seats); Antique luxury electric boat: 180 yuan/hour (6 seats). Business hours of cruise ships: Dragon Boat and Art Boat Am 8:30- Pm 16:30; Hand rowing boats, battery boats, and pedal boats Am 8:00- Pm 16:30.
Note: In case of strong winds of level 4 or above, operations will be suspended.
Friendly reminder: In early spring, the temperature on the surface of Kunming Lake is still relatively low. It is recommended that tourists rent a cruise ship for 1-2 hours. Elderly and children should pay attention to the safety of getting on and off the ship.
Travel Tips
Address: No.19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Tel: 010 62881144
Official website: http://www.summerpalace-china.com/
Opening Hours: 06:30-19:00
Ticket price: CNY30