Summer Palace Beijing

Trip Start Nov 23, 2005
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Trip End Feb 27, 2007


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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Summer Palace was a second residence where the emperor would escape to beat the summer heat. Unlike the barren flat grounds of the Forbidden City, this site is full of trees and greenery. It is dominated by Longevity Hill at 60 meters high. The grounds are situated pleasantly around the large Kunming Lake which takes up nearly three quarters of the 2.9 square kilometers. At the top of the hill you can get an impressive view of the lake and Beijing city in the background. It is located 15 kilometers from central Beijing. This was one of our favorite temple sites. We liked it not only for the beautiful gardens, but because a lot of these temples has been left unrestored. It has a nice aged look to it. Many of the other places in Beijing have recently been restored. They are so over painted, they look too new. Much of the buildings are covered in super high gloss lacquer.

The name Summer Palace is translated from Yiheyuan which means Garden of Nurtured Harmony Bridge on Kunming Lake
Bridge on Kunming Lake
 . Artists specifically designed the site so that visitors would see spectacular views. There are a variety of palaces, gardens and other classical-style architectural structures, all were made using the finest materials. There are over 3000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges and corridors. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The site was first constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), it was extended continuously during the reign of feudal emperors. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it was rampaged by the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace. She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public.
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