The Summer Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures. Well known for its large and priceless collection of cultural relics, it was among the first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China to be placed under special state protection.
The Summer Palace, originally named Qingyi Yuan or the Garden of Clear Ripples, was first constructed in 1750. It was razed to the ground by the Anglo-French Allied Forces in 1860. The Government of the Qing Dynasty started to rebuild it in 1886 with funds that it had misappropriated from the Imperial Navy and other sources. Renamed two years later as Yihe Yuan or the Garden of Health and Harmony, it was supposed to serve as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Known also as the Summer Palace, it was ravaged by the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers that invaded China in 1900.
Ticket Price
| Ticket Name | Prices(RMB ¥) | |||
| Slack Season | Busy Season | |||
| Entrance Ticket | RMB ¥20 | RMB ¥30 | Note:These price do not include the admission to the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace | |
| Half Price Ticket | RMB ¥10 | RMB ¥15 | ||
| Through Ticket | RMB ¥50 | RMB ¥60 | ||
| Admissions to the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace | Garden of Virtue and Harmony | RMB ¥5 | RMB ¥5 | |
| Tower of the Fragrance of the Buddha | RMB ¥10 | RMB ¥10 | ||
| Wenchang Gallery | RMB ¥20 | RMB ¥20 | ||
| Suzhou Street&Hall of Serenity | RMB ¥10 | RMB ¥10 | ||
Opening Time
Busy season: from April 1 to October 31;
Gate：6：30-18：00
Parks Inside the Summer Palace：8：30——17：00
the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace：8：30——17：00
Close: 20：00
Slack season: from November 1 to March 31;
Gate： 7：00-17：00，
Parks Inside the Summer Palace：9：00——16：00
the following scenic spots inside the Summer Palace：9：00——16：00
Close: 19：00
Traffic LineBuses via the East Gate of the Summer Palace (Dong-gong-men Stop):
Bus 330、331、332、346、394、712、718、726、732、737、801、808、817、826、
Buses via the North Gate of the Summer Palace (Bei-gong-men Stop):
Bus 303、330、331、346、375、384、393、634、716、718、737、801、808、817、834、Express 5
Buses via the South Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 374、437、481、952、704、992
Buses via the West Gate of the Summer Palace ( Xin-jian-gong-men Stop):
Bus 469
