An excellent expression of China's imperial spirit, the Summer Palace should be explored at leisure, even if it means setting aside a full day just to wander around soaking up the atmosphere. That said, if you're short on time, even a few hours exploring the halls, courtyards, pavilions, temples and wooded hillsides of this opulent lakeside retreat should prove a highlight of your Beijing visit.
Today's Summer Palace (Yíhe Yuan or "Garden of Nurtured Harmony") owes a lot to late-imperial historical circumstance: after its predecessors, including the Old Summer Palace, were destroyed by marauding Anglo-French forces, first in 1860 (Second Opium War), and then again in 1900 (Boxer Rebellion). The Emperor Dowager Cixi, while presiding over the downfall of imperial China, made certain that its final years wouldn't go without a Summer Pa...
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Admission: RMB 50 in off-season; RMB 60 in peak season