Summer Palace: Beijing's Imperial Garden on Kunming Lake (2026)

Summer Palace: Beijing's Imperial Garden on Kunming Lake

The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) is the best-preserved imperial garden in China and the largest of its kind — 290 hectares of lakes, hills, pavilions, temples and long covered corridors. Built in 1750 by the Qianlong Emperor and rebuilt in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi, it was the summer retreat of the imperial family. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is Beijing's green lung: half water, half garden, and entirely beautiful.

Opening hours and ticket details verified from official sources August 2026.

The Must-See Highlights

• The Long Corridor (Changlang) — 728 meters of covered walkway decorated with more than 14,000 painted scenes, a Guinness-record work of art
• Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) — the 41-meter tower on Longevity Hill, the symbol of the palace, with views over the whole lake
• Kunming Lake and the 17-Arch Bridge — take a dragon boat across the lake to the South Lake Island and walk the graceful marble bridge
• The Marble Boat — an ornate two-story pavilion built on a stone hull at the lake's edge
• The Suzhou Street — a recreated canal-side shopping street inside the garden, where eunuchs once played merchants for the emperor

Planning Your Visit

• Opening hours — gates open from 6:30 (summer) / 7:00 (winter); the internal garden buildings open at 8:30 and close earlier; allow half a day
• Tickets — a combined ticket covers the main buildings; book online for peak seasons
• Getting there — take Beijing Metro Line 4 to Xiyuan or Beigongmen station; the East Gate (Donggongmen) is the main entrance
• Boat ride — the dragon-boat crossing (about 20 minutes) is included in the internal transport and worth doing once
• Combine with — the Summer Palace is in northwest Beijing; pair it with the nearby Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) ruins or the Beijing Botanical Garden