The Empress Dowager Cixi's Back Garden, the Summer Palace!

A Super Detailed Guide to the Summer Palace: Avoid Detours and Tourist Traps The Summer Palace, the largest and most well-preserved existing royal garden in China, boasts beautiful lakes, mountains, and a rich history. It's a must-visit destination in Beijing. This guide will help you easily navigate the Summer Palace and enjoy a pleasant royal garden tour! I. Basic Information - Opening hours: Peak season (April 1 - October 31) 6:00 - 20:00, ticket sales stop at 19:00; Off-season (November 1 - March 31) 6:30 - 19:00, ticket sales stop at 18:00. The Tower of Buddhist Incense, Dehe Garden, the Summer Palace Museum, and Suzhou Street are open from 8:00 - 18:00 during peak season and 8:30 - 17:00 during the off-season. Ticket sales stop half an hour in advance, and they are closed on Mondays (except for statutory holidays). - Ticket prices: Peak season tickets are CNY 30/person, off-season tickets are CNY 20/person; combined tickets are CNY 60/person during peak season and CNY 50/person during the off-season; tickets for gardens within the park (Dehe Garden CNY 5, Summer Palace Museum CNY 20, Tower of Buddhist Incense CNY 10, Suzhou Street CNY 10). You can book tickets 7 days in advance with real-name registration through the official "Summer Palace" WeChat public account, or you can buy tickets on-site. Please bring your ID card for entry. II. Transportation Guide - Subway: - Beigongmen Station: Take Exit D of Beigongmen Station on Subway Line 4 and walk 5 minutes to the North Palace Gate. This gate is closest to the Four Continents but is often crowded. - Xiyuan Station: Take Xiyuan Station on Subway Line 4/16. Walk west for 10 minutes to reach the East Palace Gate of the Summer Palace. The East Palace Gate is the main entrance and is often crowded with tour groups. - Summer Palace West Gate: Take the Xijiao Line to Summer Palace West Gate Station. The West Gate is right outside the station. This entrance is mostly used by locals, and there are usually very few tourists. - Bus: Many bus routes reach the Summer Palace. You can check specific routes on map apps based on your starting point. - Car: There are parking lots around the Summer Palace, but parking spaces may be limited during holidays. Public transportation is recommended. If driving, navigate to the New Palace Gate, where the road is wider and parking is relatively easier. III. Recommended Routes Panoramic Tour (6-8 hours): Enter through the North Palace Gate → Suzhou Street (a replica of a canal town market street in southern China, experience the shopping atmosphere of the Qing Dynasty royal family) → Four Continents (a complex of Han and Tibetan style buildings) → Garden of Harmonious Interest (a small and exquisite garden with the characteristics of Jiangnan gardens) → Dehe Garden (see the royal theater and learn about Chinese opera culture) → Hall of Benevolence and Longevity (where Cixi and Guangxu handled government affairs) → Summer Palace Museum (rich collection of former Qing palace artifacts, including porcelain, calligraphy, and paintings) → Pavilion of Spring Awareness (a great place to enjoy the scenery, especially the willows in spring) → Hall of Joy and Longevity (Cixi's bedroom) → Long Corridor (728 meters long, with over 14,000 colorful paintings) → Tower of Buddhist Incense (landmark of the Summer Palace, offering a panoramic view) → Scenery in a Painting (excellent photo spot, with layered buildings) → Marble Boat (a stone boat in Western style) → Farming and Weaving Picture (learn about ancient farming and weaving culture) → Jade Belt Bridge (beautifully shaped, great for photos) → West Causeway (imitating the Su Causeway of West Lake in Hangzhou, perfect for scenic strolls) → Jingming Tower → Bronze Ox (a lifelike bronze ox statue believed to suppress floods) → Seventeen-Arch Bridge (connecting Kunming Lake and Nanhu Island, built during the Qianlong period) → Nanhu Island → Exit through the New Palace Gate.