Summer Palace | The Royal Garden Museum

The Royal Garden Museum. The Summer Palace, formerly known as Qingyi Garden, is located in the western suburbs of Beijing, about fifteen kilometers from the city center, mainly consisting of Wanshou Mountain and Kunming Lake. There are more than 3,000 various forms of palace garden buildings, roughly divided into administrative, residential, and sightseeing parts. ❤ It is the most completely preserved royal palace garden, known as the 'Royal Garden Museum'. In 2009, the Summer Palace was selected by the China World Records Association as the largest existing royal garden in China. The administrative area is centered around the Renshou Hall, which was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu held court and met with foreign guests. Behind Renshou Hall are three large quadrangles: Leshou Tang, Yulan Tang, and Yi Yun Guan, which were the residences of Empress Dowager Cixi, Emperor Guangxu, and the imperial concubines, respectively. To the east of Yi Yun Guan is the Dehe Garden Grand Theater, one of the three major theaters of the Qing Dynasty. 🌟 From the Sea of Wisdom on the top of Wanshou Mountain, the central axis line is clearly defined by the Buddhist Fragrance Pavilion, Dehui Hall, Paiyun Hall, Paiyun Gate, and the Yunhui Yuyu Archway. Below the mountain is a 700-meter-long 'Long Corridor' with over 8,000 painted beams, known as the 'world's number one corridor'. If you are tired from walking, you can rest in the Long Corridor and enjoy the scenery of Kunming Lake. The West Causeway of Kunming Lake was built in imitation of the Su Causeway of West Lake. ✅ Behind Wanshou Mountain and the rear lake, ancient trees form a forest with a Tibetan-style temple and an ancient Suzhou River trading street. At the east end of the rear lake is the Harmonious Interest Garden, built in imitation of the Jichang Garden in Wuxi, which is exquisite and known as the 'garden within a garden'. This requires an additional ticket purchase. 👍 The artistic conception of the Summer Palace is ingenious, a rare masterpiece of garden art in the world.