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| Summer Palace, An Imperial Garden In Beijing |
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History
The Summer Palace also known as Yiheyuan in Chinese is one of the finest imperial garden in China. The Palace is located in the north-western suburbs of Beijing, 12kms from central Beijing. The palace was originally named Qingyi Yuan or the Garden of Clear Ripples until the 19th century when it was officially named Summer Palace. The garden came into existence in 1750 and had once been an imperial palace constructed in the 12th century for the emperors. Not only is it a popular tourist destination but also a popular recreational park.
In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace as 'a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value.'
The Summer Palace in Beijing, which was first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860, and restored on its original foundation in 1886, covers an area of 304 hectares (751 acres). In the Summer Palace, one finds a variety of Palaces, gardens and other classical-style architectural structures spread all over. The halls, pavilions, bridges and temples, Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, all blend together harmoniously in spite of their individual style.
The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. The buildings on the southern slope of Longevity Hill are characteristic of the garden. The structures you come across once you start climbing the Longevity Hill are the Cloud Dispelling Gate, Second Palace Gate and the Cloud Dispelling Hall. Empress Dowager used to celebrate her Birthday in Cloud Dispelling Hall; hence the hall holds more significance than other structures. You will find gifts from high officials on her 70th birthday in 1905 and a large oil-painting of Cixi which was presented to her by the American painter Hubert Vos on her 71st birthday all on display. At the foot of Longevity Hill is the 728-meter-long (796-yard-long) passageway which links the three areas together.
The Kunming Lake covers up to three quarters of the Summer Palace grounds. Kunming Lake is a man-made lake and is used for ice skating when the lake develops a solid ice cover. The West Dike of Kunming Lake is a replica of the famous Su Di Dike on the West Lake in Hangzhou while the Suzhou Street on its banks is a recreation of a commercial street in the old days. The largest bridge on the Kunming Lake is the 17-Arch Bridge has balusters topped with 540 carved lions in different poses. Close to the bridge stands a bronze ox sculpture.
The Summer Palace is a monument to classical Chinese architecture, in terms of both garden design and construction.
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Best time to visit
The best time to visit Beijing, is either during the spring (April and May) or during the autumn (September and October) - that’s when the weather is at its most bearable. The spring can be somewhat dry, though, so you might prefer going there in autumn.
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Trivia
A short drive from central Beijing will take you into another land. One of the best preserved gardens in the world, the Summer Palace designs will soothe and please your eye bringing you in perfect harmony with nature. So come and discover the Summer Palace!
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Timing
Opening Hours: 07:00-17:00 (Nov. 1 to Mar. 31) and 06:30-18:00 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31)
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Holiday Packages
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Travel Tools
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