Summer Palace(Qingyi Garden)

The Summer Palace was originally an imperial palace and garden of the Qing Dynasty emperors, also known as Qingyi Garden. Built on the foundation of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill and following the design techniques of Jiangnan gardens, it is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden extant in China, with highly elegant scenery and many precious cultural relics, and is known as the "Museum of Royal Gardens." Area overview: The Summer Palace is grand in scale and can be divided into three areas: the political activity area centered on the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity; the imperial and empress living area, mainly comprising the Hall of Jade Ripples and the Hall of Joyful Longevity; and the garden sightseeing area, mainly along the Long Corridor, the Back Hill, and the West Area. About three-quarters of the park is occupied by Kunming Lake. Along the lakeshore are more than 100 buildings of various types—pavilions, terraces, towers, galleries, and waterside pavilions—totaling over 3,000 rooms, among which the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Long Corridor, the Marble Boat, Suzhou Street, and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge are all household representative structures and unmissable places when visiting the Summer Palace. Boating on Kunming Lake: When visiting the Summer Palace, in addition to touring the resplendent halls and buildings, you can take a cruise within the attraction and boat on Kunming Lake, which is both relaxing and pleasant without missing the sightseeing. There are more than ten cruise docks in the park, including the Bafang Pavilion, Wenchang Pavilion, Hall of Jade Ripples, Cloud-Dispelling Hall, Shizhang Pavilion, Bronze Ox, Marble Boat, and South Lake Island docks, with 5 different types of cruise: pedal boats, rowboats, battery-powered boats, dragon boats, and large painted boats. Cruise prices and routes vary, so you can choose according to your needs. On-site food & beverages: The Summer Palace is quite large, and a complete visit takes at least 4-5 hours. If you get tired and hungry while strolling, you can sit down and recharge. There are three fast-food kiosks in the park, located at Zhichun Pavilion, the east nine rooms of Cloud-Dispelling Hall, and Shizhang Pavilion, mainly serving everyday meals and noodles at relatively reasonable prices. If you want to match the occasion, there is also a traditional restaurant in the park specializing in imperial court cuisine: Tingli Hall, where you can taste food with imperial court flavors, though the prices are somewhat higher than everyday dishes.