SUMMER PALACE
INTRODUCTION
2.25
Its origins date to 1153, when the fourth emperor of the Jin dynasty ordered the building of a palace on a small hill known as Jar.
Around 1271, after the Yuan dynasty established its capital in...
HALL OF BENEVOLENCE AND LONGEVITY
2.33
The Eastern Palace Gate, the main entrance into the Summer Palace, is a large building with a double-pitched roof, with two side entrances for the members of the royal family and the court officials,...
GARDEN OF HARMONY
2.15
The splendid Garden of Virtue and Harmony was the place where the Emperor Guangxu and the Empress Dowager Cixi watched the performances of the Beijing Opera, in one of the three most famous opera...
HALL OF JADE RIPPLES
2.36
The Hall of Jade Ripples was originally built in 1750, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, for dealing with state affairs, but it was rebuilt in 1892 as a residence for Emperor Guangxu, in...
HALL OF JOYFUL LONGEVITY
2.21
The Hall of Joyful Longevity was built by Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century as a gift for his mother’s 60th birthday. It originally had two floors, with a room for worshiping Buddha on the...
LONG GALLERY
2.37
The Long Corridor takes you to the main buildings at the foot of the hill and offers marvelous views. It was built between 1749 and 1750, because Emperor Qianlong wanted his mother to be able to go...
TOWER OF BUDDHIST INCENSE
2.32
The Tower of Fragrance of the Buddha was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong. Originally designed to be a nine-storey tower, it was turned into a Buddhist tower when the eighth floor was...
HALL OF THE SEA OF WISDOM
2.30
At the top of the hill sits the marvelous Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, a two-storey Buddhist temple made of bricks, although at first sight it looks like wood. The magnificent external walls are...
