[2025 Beijing Attraction] Travel Guide for Garden of Harmonious Interest (Updated Mar)

The Summer Palace is the largest and most completely preserved imperial garden in China. It is also a World Cultural Heritage Site and a national 5A tourist attraction. I. History 1. Origin and Initial Construction The Summer Palace was formerly known as the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyi Yuan), and construction began in 1750 (the 15th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign). The Qianlong Emperor built it as a birthday gift for his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing. Modeled after the West Lake in Hangzhou and incorporating the art of Jiangnan gardens, it took 15 years to complete at a cost of 4.48 million taels of silver. The naming of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill (Wanshou Shan) also stems from the birthday theme. The layout of "Longevity Hill and Blessed Sea" symbolizes the auspicious meaning of a bat (representing good fortune) and a peach (representing longevity). 2. Destruction and Reconstruction Burning by Anglo-French forces: In 1860, the Garden of Clear Ripples was burned down by Anglo-French forces, leaving only the stone foundations. Reconstruction by Cixi using naval funds: In 1886, Empress Dowager Cixi diverted naval funds to rebuild it. In 1888, it was renamed the "Summer Palace" and served as the center of late Qing Dynasty politics and court life. Looting by the Eight-Nation Alliance: In 1900, it was damaged by the Eight-Nation Alliance and restored in 1902. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, it underwent several renovations and was listed as a National Key Cultural Relic Protection Site in 1961. II. Architectural Features and Landscape 1. Landscape Layout With Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake as the core, water covers three-quarters of the garden. The front of Longevity Hill, centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiang Ge), forms the central axis building complex. Kunming Lake is divided by the West Dike, symbolizing the three sacred mountains of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, integrating natural and artificial landscapes. 2. Landmark Buildings Tower of Buddhist Incense: An octagonal, three-story building with four eaves. Visitors can overlook the entire garden from the top, the highest point of the Summer Palace. Long Corridor: A 728-meter painted corridor with over 14,000 narrative paintings, known as the "world's longest painted corridor." Seventeen-Arch Bridge: A white marble arch bridge with unique stone lions on each arch. At sunset, it creates a spectacle of "golden light piercing through the holes." Marble Boat: Imitating a Jiangnan literati houseboat, it symbolizes that "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it," reflecting the emperor's philosophy of governance. Garden of Harmonious Interest (Xiequ Yuan): A garden within a garden in Jiangnan style, famous for its waterscapes and pavilions. 3. Cultural Symbols Symbols of good fortune and longevity: Kunming Lake resembles a peach of longevity, and the outline of Longevity Hill resembles a bat, reflecting the Qianlong Emperor's intention to celebrate his mother's birthday. Hall of Benevolent Wind (Yang Ren Feng Dian): Taken from the allusion of Xie An presenting a fan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it symbolizes governing with virtue. Rotating Scripture Library and Stone Tablet: The Rotating Scripture Library is a Buddhist building. The stone tablet is inscribed with the Qianlong Emperor's calligraphy "Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake," recording the history of the garden's construction. III. Cultural Value and Status 1. Pinnacle of Garden Art The Summer Palace epitomizes traditional gardening, blending the styles of northern and southern gardens. Following the principle of "though made by man, it appears as if created by heaven," it has been praised by UNESCO as an "outstanding example of Chinese landscape gardening." 2. Historical Witness The garden witnessed major events such as the Hundred Days' Reform and Empress Dowager Cixi's regency, serving as a microcosm of late Qing Dynasty political history. 3. World Heritage Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998, it is recognized as a "symbol of several of the world's great civilizations." IV. Tourist Information 1. Opening Hours and Tickets Peak season (Apr–Oct): 6:30 am–6:00 pm, tickets CNY 30; Off-season (Nov–Mar): 7:00 am–5:00 pm, tickets CNY 20. Combined ticket CNY 60 (including the Tower of Buddhist Incense, Suzhou Street, and other gardens within the garden). 2. Transportation Subway: Line 4 Beigongmen Station, Xiyuan Station; Line 16 Xiyuan Station. Bus: Routes 330, 331, 332, 469, etc., go directly to the Summer Palace. 3. Recommended Routes Classic Route: North Palace Gate → Suzhou Street → Tower of Buddhist Incense → Long Corridor → Seventeen-Arch Bridge → Marble Boat → New Palace Gate. In-depth Tour: Includes the Garden of Harmonious Interest, Wenchang Courtyard, Four Continents, and other unique attractions. V. Practical Tips Best Seasons: Spring and autumn (Apr–May, Sep–Oct) offer pleasant weather. Summer is suitable for boat tours on the lake, while winter offers unique snow scenery. Special Experiences: Interpretation of the Long Corridor paintings, Kunming Lake sunset, Marble Boat photography, tea tasting in the Garden of Harmonious Interest. Precautions: The garden covers a large area, so comfortable shoes are recommended. Book tickets in advance and avoid peak times during holidays.

| The apricot blossoms at Jiqingxuan are in full bloom!. 🌼 I know everyone wants to know what's blooming at the Summer Palace. 👉 Latest report: The apricot blossoms at Jiqingxuan in Xiequ Garden are now in full bloom! 🌟Many people mistake this huge blossoming tree for a peach tree, but it's actually an apricot tree with fresh white blossoms. 🍀Xiequ Garden | Seeing is believing Xiequ Garden is a famous garden within a garden located at the foot of Longevity Hill in the Summer Palace. Modeled after the Jichang Garden in Wuxi, it features pavilions, terraces, towers, mountains, water, and winding corridors, offering picturesque views at every turn. It boasts excellent feng shui. 🌈Xiequ Garden offers different and interesting scenery throughout the year. You can start by climbing the small slope behind the hill to visit Jiqingxuan, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful pavilions. 🌸The wooden structure of the pavilion has been repainted and re-carved, with clearly visible painted pillars and Dougong brackets, making it extremely beautiful. 🌿In front of Jiqingxuan stands a tall apricot tree, integrated with the surrounding corridors. The ancient architecture and spring blossoms complement each other, creating a romantic scene. The structure, built along the mountain slope, forms a huge, undulating circular corridor with distinct layers. 🐾After leaving Jiqingxuan, you can visit the four waterside pavilions of Xiequ Garden, where the calligraphy is all the work of Empress Dowager Cixi. 🌟Xiequ Garden and the Old Summer Palace were originally similar. On-site investigations and comparisons of their structures reveal that the sentiment and style of Xiequ Garden and Jiqingxuan can only hint at the former glory of the Old Summer Palace. 🌸Xiequ Garden | Plum blossoms in full bloom Entering from the East Palace Gate of the Summer Palace, on the way to the Ziqi Donglai City Gate, many spring flowers are already in bloom. In particular, the pink plum blossoms bloom one after another. Set against the gray tiles and stones of the ancient buildings, they are even more vibrant and captivating. Plum blossom lovers should not miss this spot. 🌼In addition to plum blossoms, winter jasmine flowers are already blooming all over the mountains, growing in clusters. 🩷Today, the Spring Equinox, marks the beginning of the most beautiful spring blooming season at the Summer Palace.

👍The Summer Palace's landscaping blends Chinese painting, poetry, and literature, creating a grand, colorful royal garden in harmony with its natural surroundings. 📌We entered through the North Palace Gate, directly accessible via Subway Line 4. 🌈The Four Continents: This distinctive architectural complex, covering 20,000 square meters, is a group of Han and Tibetan buildings in the central part of the back hill of Longevity Hill. The Four Continents and Eight Small Continents are arranged around the Xiangyan Zongyin Pavilion on Sumeru, symbolizing the center of the world. Four Tibetan lamaseries, representing the "Four Wisdoms" of Buddhist scriptures, stand in the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest of the pavilion, colored red, white, black, and green, respectively. The Four Continents here share the same blueprint as those at Puning Temple, one of the Eight Outer Temples of the Chengde Mountain Resort, making them identical. 🌈Walk east along the Suzhou River to reach the Harmonious Interest Garden, a beautiful replica of the Jichang Garden in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

If you want to experience the style of Jiangnan gardens in Beijing, you should visit Xiequ Garden in the Summer Palace. It is the most magnificent and elegant garden within the Summer Palace. Located in the east corner of the Summer Palace, it is not very famous, but it has a unique charm and profound historical heritage. Xiequ Garden was built in imitation of Jichang Garden in Huishan, Wuxi, a famous garden in Jiangnan. The garden is surrounded by a square pond, with garden buildings such as pavilions, halls, and bridges built along the pond. The corridor is one of the main features of the garden, consisting of a hundred connected corridors. The garden is well-arranged, with different views every few steps, in various shapes and full of fun. Xiequ Garden brings the charm of Jiangnan water towns to the royal garden in a unique way, making people linger. 🌟 Zhiyu Bridge: It spans the pond, and when the sun sets, the golden afterglow falls on the bridge and the water, creating a beautiful scene. 🌟 Hanyuan Hall: This is where Empress Dowager Cixi fished and played. The hall is exquisitely furnished and full of royal style. 📍Address: No. 19, Xinjian Gongmen Road, Qinglongqiao Street, Haidian District, Beijing 🏝️Booking Guide: Book Summer Palace tickets on the Changyou Park WeChat account. Peak season: CNY 30, off-season: CNY 20 🚗Transportation Guide: Take Subway Line 4 to Beigongmen Station Bus: Take Bus 303, 332, 346, or 584 to the Summer Palace 💗Other Tips: 1. Xiequ Garden in the Summer Palace is closest to the East Palace Gate. 2. It is a great place to see lotus flowers in summer and leaves in autumn.