颐和园 · Yíhéyuán
The Qing imperial summer garden — a vast lake, a temple-crowned hill and the painted Long Corridor, the masterpiece of Chinese garden design.
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Find a buddyOverview
The Summer Palace is the grandest surviving imperial garden in China: about 290 hectares, three-quarters of it the serene Kunming Lake, with Longevity Hill rising behind. A UNESCO site since 1998, it weaves palaces, temples, bridges and the 728-metre Long Corridor into one composed landscape where every view is framed like a painting.
History
Greatly expanded by the Qianlong Emperor in the 1750s, the garden was burned by Anglo-French troops in 1860 and rebuilt by the Empress Dowager Cixi in the 1880s — famously with funds meant for the navy, commemorated by the ironic Marble Boat. Cixi spent her summers ruling from here.
Culture & religion
It is the imperial idea of paradise made real: the Chinese garden as the highest art, blurring architecture and nature on purpose, using 'borrowed views' so the hills and lake seem endless. The Long Corridor's thousands of painted scenes turn a walk into a scroll painting, and the whole design echoes the southern Jiangnan gardens the Qianlong emperor loved.
What to see
The Long Corridor (长廊)
A 728 m covered walkway along the lake, every beam painted with a different scene — landscapes, legends and flowers.
Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁)
The octagonal tower crowning Longevity Hill, with the garden's best panorama over Kunming Lake.
The Marble Boat (石舫)
A lakeside pavilion shaped like a boat — Cixi's pointed monument built with diverted navy money.
Seventeen-Arch Bridge (十七孔桥)
A graceful bridge to South Lake Island, lined with hundreds of carved stone lions.
Visiting
Allow a half day. Enter at the East Palace Gate, follow the Long Corridor, climb to the Tower of Buddhist Incense, then take a boat across Kunming Lake. Go early; weekends and holidays are very busy.
- Tickets
- Entrance around ¥30, or a through-ticket about ¥60 that includes the main halls and towers (approximate — confirm officially). Boat rides are extra.
- Opening hours
- Roughly 06:30–18:00 in summer and 07:00–17:00 in winter, with the inner sites closing earlier. Seasonal variation applies.
- Suggested route
- East Palace Gate → Hall of Benevolence → the Long Corridor along the lake → Tower of Buddhist Incense → Marble Boat → ferry to South Lake Island and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. ~4–5 km, half a day.
Photos & photographers
Roaming photographers wander the grounds offering to snap your photo — a fun, cheap way to get a beautiful shot at this iconic spot without handing your phone to a stranger.
- Expect around ¥20 per photo. You can bargain, and ask for a trial shot (试拍) first — agree the price and how many photos before they start.
- Getting the photos is instant: most carry a USB-C card reader they plug straight into your phone to copy the originals on the spot — no WeChat or account needed (they can also send by QR code if you prefer).
- Pay by Alipay or WeChat once you have the photos. Just settle the number of shots and the price up front to avoid surprises.
Prefer a pre-arranged, English-speaking photographer for a proper photo shoot? We can help you find one — tell us the place, date and time, and we’ll match a photographer and confirm by email.
Request a photographerSuggested routes
1. Classic lakeside loop
About 3–4 hours~5 kmEast Gate → Long Corridor → Tower of Buddhist Incense → Marble Boat, then a boat across the lake. The essential visit.
2. Full garden walk
About 5 hours~7 kmAdd Suzhou Street, the back lakes and a full circuit of Kunming Lake for a quieter, deeper wander.
Points of interest
- 1
East Palace Gate · 东宫门
Main entrance.
- 2
Long Corridor · 长廊
728 m of painted walkway.
- 3
Tower of Buddhist Incense · 佛香阁
Hilltop tower & best view.
- 4
Marble Boat · 石舫
Cixi's lakeside stone boat.
- 5
Seventeen-Arch Bridge · 十七孔桥
To South Lake Island.
Getting there
Northwest Beijing. Take Subway Line 4 to Beigongmen (North Palace Gate) or Xiyuan (East Palace Gate). A taxi/DiDi from the centre takes ~40 minutes.