🏯The Summer Palace, originally known as the Garden of Clear Ripples, was built in the 15th year of the Qianlong reign (1750) of the Qing dynasty. It was burned down by the British-French coalition forces in the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign (1860). In the 12th year of the Guangxu reign (1886), the Qing court began to use funds from the navy and others to rebuild it as a place for Empress Dowager Cixi. It is a masterpiece of oriental garden art, with the grandeur and splendor of an imperial garden and full of natural charm, and has been included in the World Heritage List.
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🗺️️Panoramic Tour Route: 6-8H
North Palace Gate Entrance→Suzhou Street→Four Great Regions→Harmonious Pleasure Garden→Dehe Garden→Renshou Hall→Summer Palace Museum→Zhichun Pavilion→Le Shou Hall→Long Corridor→Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion→Boat on the Painting→Qingyan Fang→Gengzhi Tu→Jade Belt Bridge→West Causeway→Jingming Tower→Bronze Bull→Seventeen Arch Bridge→South Lake Island→New Palace Gate Exit
PS:
1️⃣.You can take a boat 🛥️️ from the Qingyan Fang/Jade Belt Bridge/Jingming Tower/South Ruyi Gate docks to the South Lake Island.
2️⃣.Finally, you can choose the Bronze Bull~Stone Pillar Pavilion and Seventeen Arch Bridge~Suzhou Street two boat trip routes to quickly and easily return to the North Palace Gate (if you parked your car there).
3️⃣.If bringing old people and children, you can enter the garden from the North Ruyi Gate and skip the Four Great Regions, the Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion, and Suzhou Street. The rest of the attractions are mainly flat and do not require climbing hills or steep stairs.
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👣Half-day Essence: 3-4H
East Palace Gate Entrance→Renshou Hall→Dehe Garden→Harmonious Pleasure Garden→Suzhou Street→Four Great Regions→Boat on the Painting→Qingyan Fang→Long Corridor→Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion→Le Shou Hall→Summer Palace Museum→Zhichun Pavilion→Bronze Bull→Seventeen Arch Bridge→South Lake Island→New Palace Gate Exit
PS: Stop at the Payun Gate pier to take a boat tour of Kunming Lake.
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👣Leg-Sparing and Respectful to the Elderly and Caring for the Young: 2-3H
North Ruyi Gate Entrance→Boat on the Painting→Stone Boat→Long Corridor→Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion→Le Shou Hall→Dehe Garden→Renshou Hall→Summer Palace Museum→Zhichun Pavilion→Bronze Bull→Seventeen Arch Bridge→South Lake Island→New Palace Gate Exit
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🏞️Must-See Scenic Spots
✅Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion: Overlooking the entire Kunming Lake, with a great view
✅Boat on the Painting: Turrets and pavilions are scattered and charming, perfect for taking photos
✅Qingyan Fang: A combination of Chinese freehand painting and French yacht
✅Zhichun Pavilion: The best place to take a panoramic view of Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion
✅Seventeen Arch Bridge: A masterpiece of scenic description in textbooks, perfect for photographing the golden light passing through the holes
✅Long Corridor: Decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, listed in the Guinness World Records for its length
✅West Causeway and Harmonious Pleasure Garden: A good place to enjoy lotus flowers in summer, with a bird-watching area in the direction of West Causeway
🎫Ticket Reservation:
1️⃣Main entrance ticket: CNY 30. Advance reservation with real-name registration is required 7 days in advance through the official website of GZH.
2️⃣Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion: CNY 10; Dehe Garden: CNY 5; Suzhou Street: CNY 10; Summer Palace Museum: CNY 20.
3️⃣The above-mentioned combination ticket: CNY 60. Children under 6 and adults over 60 are free.
⏰Opening Hours:
Outdoor part of the park: 6:30-18:00, open every day.
Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion/Dehe Garden/Suzhou Street/Summer Palace Museum: 8:30-17:00, closed on Mondays.
🎫Boat Tour Guide: Self-driving battery boat + Shuttle Boat
✅1. Operating Hours: From mid-to-late March to mid-November, 8:30-17:30.
✅2. Three battery boat piers: Fangting/Wenchang Pavilion/Yulan Tang, CNY 200/hour, deposit CNY 600.
✅3. Shuttle boat: 12 routes; children under 1.2 meters are free.
(1) Stone Boat-South Lake Island: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(2) Bronze Bull-Stone Pillar Pavilion: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(3) South Ruyi Gate-South Lake Island: CNY 30 for a one-way trip.
(4) South Ruyi Gate-Duogu Fang: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(5) Changguan Hall-South Lake Island: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(6) Zaojian Hall water area: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(7) South Lake Island-Jingming Tower: CNY 30 for a one-way trip.
(8) South Lake Island-Jade Belt Bridge: CNY 30 for a one-way trip.
(9) Suzhou Street-Suyun Yan: CNY 30 for a one-way trip.
(10) Suyun Yan-Seventeen Arch Bridge: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
(11) Suzhou Street-Seventeen Arch Bridge: CNY 70 for a one-way trip (Suzhou Street admission ticket must be purchased separately).
(12) Payun Gate around the lake: CNY 40 for a one-way trip.
🗺️Transportation:
🚉North Palace Gate/North Ruyi Gate: Line 4, Beigongmen Station.
🚉East Palace Gate/New Palace Gate: Line 4, Xiyuan Station.
🚉West Gate: Xijiao line, Yiheyuan station.
🛥️South Ruyi Gate: Transportation ship to the Zoo.
🚗Driving is not recommended due to the limited parking spaces and parking fees at CNY 12/hour.
