“A masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value” – UNESCO
The Summer Palace is located in the Haiden district, 15km from central Beijing. It is the biggest as well as the best preserved royal park in all of China. Traditional Chinese horticulture and landscape is seen in this premises and it has long been recognized as the museum of royal gardens.
The construction of this masterpiece started in 1750 as a royal family playground where emperors can flee from their busy lifestyle within the kingdom. During the Qing Dynasty the Summer Palace was the main residence of the royal family members. According to historical evidence it was initially named the Garden of Clear Ripples but was later renamed after a reconstruction.
The Summer Palace covers an expanse of over seven hundred acres whilst three quarters of it is water. The palace is designed marvelously with a huge lake and breathtaking views of the hilltop. To visit the complete palace it will take maybe half a day or one full day, depending on the pace you explore. Similar to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace too is a mandatory for those visiting Beijing.
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Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travelers.
