The Summer Palace History

---

The Summer Palace, also named as The Garden of Harmonious Nature in China, is located about 12 kilometers (xx miles) to the northwest of downtown Beijing. Known far and wide for its architectural splendor and natural beauty, this imperial garden contains 60 meter high Longevity Hill in the north, a wide expanse Kunming Lake in the south, 795 yard (727 meters) long corridor along the north bank of the lake, and spectacular buildings of different shapes and sizes. The Summer Palace was originally a summer retreat place of emperor Qianlong in Qing dynasty. It was destroyed during the Second Opium War in 1860. Empress Cixi restored it for her summer retreat in 1888. In 1900 it was damaged again during the Boxer Rebellion. But it was rebuilt shortly after and became a public park in 1924. It is a collection of Chinese classical architecture and garden design that displays the craftsmanship and artistic elegance of Chinese people.

[BACK to TOP]