The Summer Palace is one of the destinations you can visit during your trip to Beijing. It is a cultural and historical attraction that provides visitors with a glimpse of the country's glorious past.
Exploring the Summer Palace
It was a nice and cool autumn afternoon when I explore the palace. I was expecting huge crowds, but what I saw was not the same as what I expected, which was a good thing. There was still a sizable crowd, but not a horde.
The palace complex took about 40 minutes to get to by subway. It is also one of the biggest and most well-preserved royal park in the country. It has influenced Chinese horticulture and landscaping. Construction of the palace began in 1750; its initial use was a garden for the royal family to relax and unwind in, it later became the royal family's residence.
It underwent reconstruction in the 1880s because of the extensive damage it incurred during the rampage of the Anglo-French Allied Force.
The complex was then opened to the public in 1924 and became one of the first AAAAA tourist destinations in the country.
The Summer Palace has different sections, making it a possible half or full day trip from downtown Beijing, depending on how fast you want to go through each place.
Some of the places of interest in the palace are the front and rear sections of Longevity Hill, the court area and Kunming Lake.
How to Get to the Summer Palace
You have options on how to get to the palace, you can enter through the North, West or East Gates.
- If you're entering through the North Gate, get on a line 4 train and alight at Beigongmen Station, and take exit D.
- If through the West Gate, get on a line 10 train to Bagou Station, then get on the Western Suburban Line train to Yiheyuanximen Station.
- If you're entering through East Gate, get on a line 4 or 16 train to Xiyuan and take the C2 exit.
Entrance: CNY30 for April to October and CNY20 for November to March
Dehe Garden: CNY5
Tower of Buddhist Incense: CNY10
Wenchang Hall: CNY20
Suzhou Street and Danning Hall: CNY10
Combo Ticket: CNY60 for April to October and CNY50 November to March
