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Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian
District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from
central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well
preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key
Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the
ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent
constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden,
and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the
world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by
UNESCO.
Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding
reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time
of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal
garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment.
Originally called "Qingyi Garden" (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was
know as one of the famous "three hills and five gardens" (Longevity
Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear
Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and
Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of
Tranquility and Pleasure). Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it
could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and
was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy
funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to
Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there,
dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered
again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the
success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public.
Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer
Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares (726.5 acres), three
quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, artists designed the
gardens exquisitely so that visitors would see marvelous views and
be amazed by perfect examples of refined craftwork using the finest
materials.
Centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) the Summer
Palace consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions,
towers, bridges, and corridors. The Summer Palace can be divided
into four parts: the court area, front-hill area, front-lake area,
and rear-hill and back-lake area.
Front-Hill Area: this area is the most magnificent area in the
Summer Palace with the most constructions. Its layout is quite
distinctive because of the central axis from the yard of Kunming
Lake to the hilltop, on which important buildings are positioned
including Gate of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling
Clouds, Hall of Moral Glory, Tower of Buddhist
Incense, the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom,
etc.
Rear-Hill and Back-Lake Area: although the
constructions are fewer here, it has a unique landscape, with dense
green trees, and winding paths. Visitors can feel a rare
tranquility, and elegance. This area includes scenic spots such as
Garden of Harmonious Interest and Suzhou
Market Street.
Court Area: this is where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu
met officials, conducted state affairs and rested. Entering the
East Palace Gate, visitors may see the main palace
buildings: the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
served as the office of the Emperor, the Hall of Jade
Ripples where Guangxu lived, the Hall of Joyful
Longevity, Cixi's residence, the Hall of Virtue and
Harmony where Cixi was entertained.
Front Lake Area: covering a larger part of the Summer Palace, opens
up the vista of the lake. A breeze fluttering, waves gleam and
willows kiss the ripples of the vast water. In this comfortable area
there are the Eastern and Western Banks, the
Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Nanhu Island,
and so on. On the western bank float six distinct bridges amongst
which the Jade-Belt Bridge is the most beautiful.
For more information click on the following link
below. The above text was taken from the link below as well.
http://www.beijingtrip.com/attractions/summer/intro.htm
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| My comments: We visited Summer Palace in December of 2005. It
was extremely cold then. The lake was frozen. I was amazed by the
settings of this place. It was like a fairytale Palace. I would not
believed it if I did not see it with my own eyes. The lake was on
the valley and the mountains were all around the lake. The palace
was on top of one mountain and other mountains had small small
palace like buildings. It was very peaceful like setting. You can
see how much power the Chinese ings had by looking the place. You
can ride boat in summer on the lake. The palace is located outskirts
of Beijing. Takes less than hour to get there. |
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This page was last updated on
Sunday March 26, 2006 |
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