Traditional Chinese imperial roof with yellow glazed tiles, ornate painted brackets, and ridge beasts above a white wall with a carved arched doorway

Beijing Summer Palace

Beijing Summer Palace

21.5.2019
China, Places
Beijing

The Summer Palace in Beijing is a complex of gardens, palaces and lakes in Beijing. It was one of the imperial gardens and was used by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty as a retreat from city life.

The main components of the facility are Kumming Lake and Longevity Hill. Kumming Lake extends over 2.2 square kilometers and was man-made. The earth masses from the excavation form the basis of Longevity Hill.

In the course of history parts were destroyed again and again, but also rebuilt. In 1998 UNESCO put it on its World Heritage List as one of the masterpieces of Chinese landscape garden design.

Visitors walking up stone stairs toward a traditional Chinese palace gate framed by pine trees on a hazy day

Weathered traditional Chinese roof eave with a red lantern hanging over a frozen lake at the Summer Palace in winter

Traditional Chinese building with red walls and grey tiled roof beside a frozen lake in winter

Traditional Chinese waterside buildings with snow-covered roofs along a frozen river, visitors walking on stone walkways in winter

Traditional Chinese buildings with red lanterns along a frozen canal at a historic palace complex

Crowds of tourists crossing a paved plaza with a white stone pagoda and a food vendor in a Chinese park

Photographer on ancient stone stairs at a Chinese palace with red walls and golden roof tiles

Person in dark clothing standing beside a weathered red wall with yellow glazed tiles at a historic Chinese palace garden

Ornate yellow glazed roof with ridge beasts and pagoda tower in background

Golden glazed tile roof and Tibetan pagoda at a Chinese imperial palace with tourists overlooking forested hills and city skyline

Chinese imperial pavilion with ornate golden glazed-tile roof and weathered red brick walls at a historic palace complex

Aerial view of a golden glazed tile roof at a traditional Chinese palace complex with visitors walking along a stone path

Traditional Chinese temple pavilion with golden glazed tile roof and weathered red walls at a hillside palace complex

Tibetan-style Buddhist stupa with golden finial atop a forested hill, misty mountains in the background, Summer Palace Beijing

Chinese imperial pavilions with golden tiled roofs overlooking forested hills and misty valley

Traditional Chinese imperial roof with yellow glazed tiles, ornate painted brackets, and ridge beasts above a white wall with a carved arched doorway

Golden glazed Buddhist statues seated in arched turquoise tile niches on a traditional Chinese temple facade

Weathered golden Buddha statue seated in meditation within a green arched niche on a yellow temple wall

Traditional imperial roof with golden glazed tiles and the Tower of Buddhist Incense rising behind at the Summer Palace

Calm misty lake with carved stone balustrade and overhanging evergreen trees along the waterfront

Traditional Chinese imperial building with grey tiled roofs beside a calm reflective lake, visitors walking along a stone balustrade

Traditional Chinese covered dock pavilion on a calm misty lake with a small motorboat moored alongside

Two boats moored at a weathered wooden dock on calm misty water

Long arched stone bridge spanning a calm lake with a traditional Chinese pavilion on the left in black and white

A man prepares a large colorful kite on a stone bridge while a crowd watches, with a traditional Chinese pavilion in the background

A man in a red jacket flying a large colorful kite on a stone bridge by the water

Man flying giant dragon-shaped kite on stone bridge over lake

Giant dragon kite hovering above a crowded stone bridge beside a lake

Crowd watches a man fly a kite with a large string winder at an outdoor park in China

Large red octopus-shaped kite with long flowing tentacles flying in a pale blue sky

Large red and green dragon kite flying against a pale sky

Couple embracing while watching a colorful kite fly near a stone lion statue

Large red and pink octopus-shaped kite with long trailing tentacles flying against a pale blue sky