Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is a Qing Dynasty imperial palace and royal garden complex consisting of lakes, gardens, and palaces. It is the best-preserved royal garden and a prime example of Chinese garden art at its peak.
Facts on Summer Palace
- Location: Haidian District, Beijing
- Area: 300.9 hectares
- History: Initially built in 1750, this structure has a history spanning 275 years.
Opening Hours
| Time | Opening Time | Last Admission | Closing Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1st to October 31st | 6:00 | 19:00 | 20:00 |
| November 1st to March 31st | 6:30 | 18:00 | 19:00 |
Ticket Price
| Attraction | April 1st to October 31st | November 1st to March 31st |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Palace | CNY30 | CNY20 |
| The Summer Palace (including all scenic spots within the park) | CNY60 | CNY50 |
| Dehe Garden | CNY5 | |
| Museum | CNY20 | |
| Tower of Buddhist Incense | CNY10 | |
| Suzhou Street | CNY10 | |
How Do You Visit the Summer Palace
The duration of your visit to Yiheyuan varies depending on the tour route you choose. A comprehensive tour takes 6 hours, a highlights tour takes 3 hours, and a leisurely tour takes 2 hours. No matter how long you plan to visit, it is recommended to enter the scenic area through the North Palace Gate or the East Palace Gate, as these two gates are closer to the main attractions of the Summer Palace.
6 to 8 hours Sightseeing
Beigongmen - Suzhou Street - Four Great Regions - Garden of Harmonious Interests - Deheyuan - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - Museum - Zhichunting - Hall of Joyful and Longevity - Long Corridor - Tower of Buddhist Incense - Huazhongyou - Qingyan Boat - Gengzhitu- Yudaiqiao - Xidi - Jingminglou - Bronze Ox- Seventeen-Arch Bridge - Nanhu Island - Xingongmen
3 to 4 hours Sightseeing
Donggongmen - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity- Deheyua -Garden of Harmonious Interests - Suzhou Street - Four Great Regions - Huazhongyou - Qingyan Boat - Long Corridor -Tower of Buddhist Incense - Hall of Joy and Longevity - Zhichunting - Museum - Bronze Ox - Seventeen-Arch Bridge - Nanhu Island - Xingongmen
2 to 3 hours Sightseeing
Beiruyimen - Huazhongyou - Qingyan Boat- Long Corridor - Hall of Joyulf and Longevity - Deheyuan - Hall of Benevolence and Longevity - Zhichunting- Museum- Bronze Ox - Seventeen-Arch Bridge - Nanhu Island - Xingongmen
Summer Palace Boat Ride
In the Summer Palace, water areas account for a large proportion. If you don't feel like walking, you might as well board a boat on Kunming Lake to leisurely enjoy the unique scenery of this imperial garden.
Self-Drive Electric Boat
| Dock | Business Time | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Yulantang | Tickets start selling at 08:30 Ticket sales end at 16:30 Operations cease at 17:30 |
CNY200/Hour |
| Wenchangge | ||
| Bafangting |
Sightseeing cruise ship
| Business Time | Route | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30-17:30 | Suyun Pavilion - Suzhou Street | CNY30 |
| Jingming Pavilion - West of Nanhu Island | ||
| Jade Belt Bridge - West of Nanhu Island | ||
| South Ruyi Gate - South of Nanhu Island | ||
| South Ruyi Gate - Dui'ou Fang | CNY40 | |
| Changguan Hall - South of Nanhu Island | ||
| Changguan Hall - South Entrance of Xidi | ||
| Bronze Ox - Shizhang Pavilion | ||
| Stone Boa - North of Nanhu Island | ||
| Seventeen-Arch Bridge - Suyun Pavilion | ||
| Tour around the lake at Paiyun Gate |
What to Do in the Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, once a summer retreat for royalty, is now renowned as a Museum of Imperial Gardens. Nowadays, it is still a retreat for crowd-weary tourists, who can relax here or stroll around ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges, and the huge lake, stopping occasionally at a shop or tea house.
1. Exploring the Court Area Near the East Gate
The garden falls naturally into several sections, each with its distinct character. The palace buildings where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu used to stay, conducting the business of government, are in the court area, near the East Palace Gate. They include many halls, courtyards, and displays.
2. Walking Through the Long Corridors for Viewing the Lake
From the court area, paths run beside the huge lake, which takes up about 75% of the whole park, under the shady trees, or along the roofed breezeway with magnificently painted ceilings, known as the Long Corridor.
The corridor is 728 meters long, the longest such corridor among all Chinese gardens. There are more than 14,000 drawings on the crossbeams of the corridor. Bridges, islands, boats, willows, lotus, and attractive landscaping all make it a pleasant place for soaking up the atmosphere and taking in the views.
3. Touching History Through the Imperial Decorations
The arched bridges, pretty promenades, decorated corridors, and breezeways lead visitors through ever-changing views and scenery.
Walking through the garden, you'll marvel at the wonderful Marble Boat built by Cixi with funds intended for the navy, and at one of the three great traditional theaters in China - the old theater. On the lake, there is an island accessed via small wooden boats, and in the distance, there are hills with a temple on a hillside framed by dark trees.
4. Shopping By River
Suzhou Market Street replicates the shopping street in Suzhou of ancient times, recreating traditional riverside shops, many of which can only be reached by boat. The story goes that former emperors, or their concubines, used to enjoy pretend-shopping here.
5. Boating on Kunming Lake
Kunming Lake occupies 75% of the whole palace grounds, and there is a West Causeway on the lake, which is modeled on the Su Causeway of West Lake in Hangzhou. In the 1990s, scientific research showed that the lake dates back over 3,500 years.
You can take a 10-minute boat ride to visit an island temple, watch a traditional Chinese performance in a restored theatre, enjoy the different buildings and courtyards, or just admire the views from one of many vantage points on the lake.
6. Overlooking the Palace from Longevity Hill
Along the lake path, the land rises to Longevity Hill, dotted with superb halls and temples, and wonderfully decorated gates. The energetic can climb the hill to the Buddhist temple, which overlooks the whole area.
The waterside path continues across bridges, past boathouses, and the amazing marble boat, to an area of tranquil gardens, hillocks, and winding paths.
What to Eat in Summer Palace
Near the East Palace Gate of the Yiheyuan, there's a shopping mall called Longhu Xingyuehui where you can taste authentic Beijing cuisine. After coming out of the East Palace Gate, you can take Bus 363 to Xiyuan Station. It takes 15 minutes and costs 2 yuan. Alternatively, you can choose to walk, and it will also take just 15 minutes to get there.
You can enjoy dishes like instant-boiled mutton hot pot, dumplings, Beijing roast duck, and luzhu. There's much more than that-you'll have to explore the other delicacies yourself!
Related Reading: What to Eat in Beijing
How to Get to the Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is located in the area between Beijing's Third Ring Road and Fourth Ring Road, approximately 10 kilometers away from the Bird's Nest. The entire scenic area has seven entrances and exits, with a subway station named Beigongmen Station situated outside the Beigong Gate. You can take Subway Line 4 and alight at this station.
From Capital Airport to Summer Palace
By Car: Taking a taxi will take about 60 minutes and cost CNY130.
By Subway: Take the Capital Airport Express to Sanyuanqiao Station, then transfer to Line 10 and get off at Bagou Station. Finally, transfer to the Western Suburb Line and get off at the West Gate of the Summer Palace. It takes about 100 minutes and costs CNY33.
From Daxing Airport to the Summer Palace
By Car: Taking a taxi will take 80 minutes and cost CNY200.
By Subway: Take the Daxing Airport Line to Caoqiao Station, then transfer to Line 10 and get off at Bagou Station. Exit from Exit A and transfer to Bus 74, getting off at the New Palace Gate Station of the Summer Palace. It takes about 100 minutes and costs CNY42.
From Beijing South Railway Station
By Car: Taking a taxi will take around 80 minutes and cost CNY200.
By Subway: Take Line 4 and get off at Xiyuan Station. Exit from Exit C1, then transfer to Bus 437 and get off at the New Palace Gate Station of the Summer Palace. It takes about 70 minutes and costs CNY7.
Related Reading: Beijing Transportation
Get to the Summer Palace by Private Transfer
Chinatravel's private transfer will send a driver to pick you up from your designated location, such as a hotel, airport, or railway station. After that, the driver will take you to your hotel and assist with check-in, or directly to the Summer Palace.
We'll arrange a vehicle based on the number of travelers and the amount of luggage. All our drivers are locals in Beijing who are well-acquainted with the city's road conditions. There's also a tour guide on board who will give you an overview of Beijing and introduce the scenic spots.
Summer Palace Tour
Do you want to know what Cixi would do in the Summer Palace? What did the Eight-Power Allied Forces do after invading the Summer Palace? And how did the Summer Palace evolve into what it is today? Book our tour to the Summer Palace, and our professional local Beijing guides will answer all these questions for you.
If you encounter any problems during the trip or have new travel-related ideas, just let our travel consultants know, and we'll customize a satisfying itinerary for you.