The Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was the world-famous imperial garden of the Qing Dynasty. It was first built in 1709, giving it a history of more than 300 years, and it represents the pinnacle of traditional Chinese garden artistry.
The Old Summer Palace embodies rich elements of classical Chinese philosophy, such as the concept of “Nine Provinces and Four Seas,” the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements, historical allusions, famous scenic sites, and more.
Among the many attractions in Beijing, the Old Summer Palace holds a special place. It is not only a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Beijing, but also a place everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime!!!
When children see the real Old Summer Palace before their eyes—just as depicted in their textbooks—they will understand that “Never forget national humiliation; revive China” is no longer just a simple slogan...
Important Information First
Opening Hours: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM (Last entry at 7:00 PM)
Address: 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District
Transportation:
South Gate: Subway Line 4, Yuanmingyuan Station (Exits A/B)
West Gate: Subway Line 4, Xiyuan Station (Exit A)
East Gate: Bus 305/320/365/375 to Yuanmingyuan East Road Station
Park Transportation:
Sightseeing Bus: Standard 20 RMB/person, Time Bus 90 RMB/person
Boat Ride: 35 RMB/person (includes two transfers, approx. 20-minute ride, 10-person boat)*Currently unavailable*
Ticket Reservations: Trip Ticket Purchase
Children under 6 and adults over 60 enter free of charge.
Strongly recommend purchasing the combined ticket! Otherwise, you won't be able to access the core attractions.
The combined ticket costs 25 RMB per person and includes admission to the main gates, the Western-style buildings ruins, the sand table panorama, and Zhengjue Temple. Present your Yuanmingyuan combined ticket to make a free reservation for viewing the horse head at Zhengjue Temple (avoid Mondays when it is closed).
Introduction to the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
The park is composed of three gardens—Yuanmingyuan, Changchun Garden, and Qichun Garden. It is a large imperial palace complex created and managed by six Qing Dynasty emperors, from Kangxi to Xianfeng, over a span of more than 150 years.
How big is the Old Summer Palace?
The Old Summer Palace stretches about 10 kilometers around and covers more than 350 hectares, of which approximately 140 hectares are water.
The land-based architectural area of the Old Summer Palace exceeds that of the Forbidden City by 10,000 square meters, and its water area is equivalent to that of the Summer Palace. Its total area is equal to 8.5 Forbidden Cities.
The European-style Ruins, a popular check-in spot for visitors today, were built from the 10th to the 24th year of the Qianlong reign. Construction lasted 15 years and covered 80 mu, yet this entire scenic area accounts for only 1.5% of the Old Summer Palace’s total area.
What are the layout features of the Old Summer Palace?
Its beauty is defined by water, meaning that most of its landscape design methods use water surfaces as the main theme. Artificial hills formed by stacked rocks—creating ridges, mounds, islands, and embankments—are scattered throughout the garden and occupy about one-third of the entire area.
The water system combines with the rock formations to divide the garden into nearly a hundred natural spaces featuring interconnected mountains and water landscapes.
Most scenic spots are named after plants, with no fewer than 150 such locations, accounting for about one-sixth of all the garden’s scenic spots.
Must-See Attractions in the Park
1. The Authentic Horse Head Sculpture at Zhengjue Temple
2.Western-Style Buildings Scenic Area, History Textbook Zone
3. Black Swan Viewing Area: Observe black swans and their cygnets, mallards, mandarin ducks, and marsh tits.
4. Grand Panorama Model Exhibition Area: Sand table recreates the full view of the Old Summer Palace!
5. Each season offers its own unique beauty:
In spring, don't miss the peach blossoms at Peach Blossom Creek and the sacred peach tree at Fenglinzhou.
In summer, visit Changchun Garden and Wanqi Garden to admire the lotus flowers.
In autumn, come to the “Ginkgo Avenue” to witness the breathtaking ginkgo trees.
In winter, watch the ice games at Fuhai Lake—the very same ice games performed by An Lingrong in the TV series “Empresses in the Palace”!
Tour Guide
Shortcut Route: 3 hours
East Gate entrance → Black Swan viewing area → Panoramic sand table → Western-style buildings ruins → Boat ride or sightseeing bus → Pier or Three Gardens junction → Zhengjue Temple → South Gate
Tips:
For those planning to study history textbooks, entering the Old Summer Palace through the East Gate is truly wise—you'll arrive directly at the Western-style buildings ruins.
The Old Summer Palace subway station is at the South Gate. After arriving by subway, rent a bike and ride to the East Gate—a 3-kilometer journey that took me quite a while. If you're with elderly people or children, I recommend taking a taxi.
After exiting the South Gate, it's just a 200-meter walk to the main gate of Tsinghua University.
Purely time-saving route: 1 hour
Enter East Gate → Lion's Grove → Ruins of the Western Pavilion → Exit East Gate
History of the European-Style Ruins
The European-style Ruins include the Grand Waterworks, the Water Observation Pavilion, the Yuanying Pavilion, the Hall of National Peace, the Yellow Flower Maze, the Fangwai Pavilion, the Harmonious Wonder, and the Birdcage Pavilion.
Stone stele at the entrance of the European-style scenic area:
It is engraved with Victor Hugo’s “Letter to Captain Butler on the Anglo-French Expedition to China.”
Grand Waterworks:
This is one of the most iconic structures in the Old Summer Palace—the same one featured in school textbooks. “Waterworks” refers to the grand fountain system. The entire Grand Waterworks consists of fountains, pools, and sculptures, ingeniously blending Chinese and Western styles.
Water Viewing Platform: Opposite the Grand Water Feature, the emperor's throne is positioned here for viewing the water display.
The Water Viewing Platform was constructed under the supervision of Giuseppe Castiglione. Since the emperor's throne was oriented in the opposite direction of the traditional Chinese feng shui principle of “facing south while seated facing north,” a stone screen was erected. Carved onto the screen are soldiers with cannons, symbolizing the protection of the emperor.
Yuan Ying Pavilion: Located north of the Grand Water Clock, it served as a place for Emperor Qianlong and his Consort Xiang to live and entertain.
Haiyantang and the Twelve Zodiac Heads:
Haiyantang embodies the aspiration for “peaceful seas and tranquil rivers, national prosperity and people's well-being.” The Twelve Zodiac Heads, also known as the “Hydraulic Clock,” used water to mark the hours. Each of the twelve zodiac animals corresponded to one of the twelve traditional Chinese hours. At the top of every hour, the corresponding animal head would spout water for two hours.
After the Anglo-French Allied Forces burned down the Old Summer Palace, the twelve animal heads were scattered overseas. Currently, the Ox, Monkey, Tiger, Pig, Rat, Rabbit, and Horse heads have been returned: the Rat and Rabbit heads are at the National Museum of China; the Horse head is at the Zhengjue Temple in the Old Summer Palace; the Pig, Ox, Tiger, and Monkey heads are housed at the Poly Art Museum in Beijing. The Snake, Sheep, Rooster, Dog, and Dragon heads remain missing to this day.
The Golden Flower Maze: Also known as the Ten Thousand Flowers Maze, this labyrinth was where the emperor would entertain himself each year on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival. His concubines, holding lotus lanterns, would race to the center of the pavilion, with the first to arrive receiving the emperor's reward.
The Yellow Flower Maze is seriously so much fun!!! It took me nearly three laps to finally get inside. The outer maze was a bit sunny, but stepping into the pavilion was unbelievably cool—the emperor really knew how to enjoy himself!
While navigating the maze, everyone was a bit lost. Some people even helped direct others from inside the pavilion—it was such a joyful scene, haha.
Exterior Appearance: Built by Emperor Qianlong for Consort Xiang, this mosque differs from modern mosques in appearance, resembling more a European palace as seen in restoration drawings.
Harmonious and Whimsical: A venue where the emperor enjoyed music and hosted Western-style banquets, the structure is entirely carved from white marble. Before the building lies a massive crabapple-shaped fountain.
Cultural and Creative Stamp Collection
Purchase a passport booklet to collect stamps. Stamping stations are available at Zhengjue Temple, San Kong Bridge, Huanghua Array, and shops at the Lotus Base.
Enjoying Yuanmingyuan ice cream: Horse Head, Black Swan, Lotus Flower... multiple flavors and designs.
Yuanmingyuan is just too big! There are so many fun ways to explore waiting for you to discover. Feel free to share your adventures in the comments section~
