Old Summer Palace

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Apr.-Nov.
07:00-20:30
10 Low Season
Nov.-Mar.
07:00-19:30
10 Address & Phone +86 10- 62628501 No 28 Qinghua West Road, Beijing Transportation Take Subway Line 4 and get off at Yuanmingyuan Station and get out of the station from Exit B. Notes Sites of European Palaces: CNY 15;Exhibition Hall of Yuanmingyuan in Heyday: CNY 10

Old Summer Palace, also Yuanmingyuan Park, was once the imperial complex of palaces and gardens known for its extensive collection of architectures and other works of art. Today, the ruins remind Chinese people do not forget the national humiliation.

Located 8 kilometers northwest of the Forbidden City and near the Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace was a complex of summer palaces and gardens in Beijing. The garden, also called Yuan Ming Yuan, was first constructed in 1709 in Qing Dynasty (1368-1644) and composed of three gardens namely Yuanmingyuan, Wanchunyuan and Changchunyuan. During the next 150 years, this Garden was expanded to a large-scale private garden for the imperial family. However, it was ruined in 1860 by the British and French forces during the Second Opium War.

Covering an area of 350 hectares, it has a water area of 140 hectares and hundreds of scenic spots. When it was not destroyed, there were exquisite halls, pavilions, chambers, rock hills, ponds, and exotic flowers and grasses from different parts of the country. This garden was nicknamed Garden of Gardens known for its extensive collection of garden and building architectures as well as other works of art.

Derivation of the Name

Yuan Ming Yuan was named by Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722, a very great emperor in the Qing Dynasty) in Qing Dynasty. Yuan Ming was the Buddhist name of Emperor Yongzheng (the fourth on of Emperor Kangxi) when he was a prince. The garden (Yuan in Chinese) was awarded to him by Emperor Kangxi who inscribed the name of the garden with “Yuan Ming Yuan”. Emperor Yongzheng explained that Yuan (perfect) means a person’s perfect character which surpasses ordinary people while Ming (bright) refers to the achievement of the wise people is like sunshine.

Architectures and Works of Art

Old Summer Palace inherited the tradition of three thousand years’ Chinese garden construction with imperial buildings’ luxury and grace as well as the exquisiteness of gardens south of Yangtze River. Meanwhile, it was the most splendid garden which combines typical Chinese scenery and western architecture harmoniously. During that era, it was called the 'garden of gardens' or the 'Versailles of the East' in Europe.

The garden was also an imperial museum with large collection of works of art. The halls in the garden were decorated with countless rosewood furniture, housing many precious cultural relics from home and abroad. Wenyuange was one of the four top libraries in the country where the valuable books like Book Collection and Authorized Books.

Destruction of the Old Summer Palace

In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the garden was burnt down by the British and French forces. They plundered the articles in the garden and quantities of gold ornaments were burnt, considered as brass. A park was established in the former site of the Old Summer Palace in 1988 as a symbol of China's "national wound”. The exhibition hall in former Xiyang Lou offers the complete view of Old Summer Palace in its "heyday", reminding the Chinese people do not forget the national humiliation.

How to Go to Old summer Palace

Take Subway Line 4 and get off at Yuanmingyuan, get out from Exit B.
Take Buses No. 320, 628, 697, T6 and get off at the south gate of Yuanmingyuan Park.
Take Buses No. 664, T4, 982 and get off at the east gate of Yuanmingyuan Park.
Take Buses No. 319, 331, 432, 438, 498, 664, 690 or 696 and get off at Qichunyuan of the Yuanmingyuan Park.
Take Buses No. 365, 432, 656, 681, 717, 814 and get off at the Changchunyuan of the Yuanmingyuan Park.

 

Beijing Culture