Kunming Lake

On the afternoon of March 14th, 19 swans were seen gracefully dancing in the sky above Kunming Lake in Beijing's Summer Palace. As winter fades and spring arrives, swans that wintered in the south are gradually migrating northward. Since March, several flocks of homeward-bound swans have been "resting their wings" at Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace, sometimes flying in the air, attracting many photography enthusiasts and tourists to come and watch and take pictures.

👍The cold weather in deep winter is the best time to appreciate the ancient buildings in Beijing. The sky is clear, the natural light is abundant, and I went to the Summer Palace early in the morning recently. For the first time, I felt the beauty of the sunrise of Kunming Lake, which was very familiar. 🔴If the scenery is a blend of water and sky, then the sunrise of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace can be considered a sight in Beijing. The lake has just frozen, and it looks extremely quiet from a distance. Up close, the faint light ripples, and the many ancient buildings on the lakeside are shadowy, full of tone, and a series of vivid paintings. ⏰When to go? Check the sunny time in the weather forecast, it's very accurate within three days, and the weather has been very good recently. 🌈When to go? Basically, enter the park before dawn, after all, you need to arrive at the location in advance for viewing or shooting at sunrise, which takes about 2-3 hours. 🚻Recommended best route: I personally feel there is no best, but considering the direction of the sunrise, it is definitely starting from the West Causeway. My route is to enter from the west gate and exit from the east gate, walking 2 kilometers. There are many check-in points in it: 1. Jade Belt Bridge 2. Bin Feng Bridge 3. Xing Bridge 4. Near the Long Corridor 5. Xijia Building and so on. The first and second places are must-visit places for shooting sunrise, with a good view. Other positions are auxiliary, but they also have a good perspective for shooting the sunrise of Kunming Lake. 🧧What scenery is worth seeing? All the scenery about the sunrise can actually be seen in the Summer Palace. You have to appreciate it at the moment of color change. The time is short, but it's extraordinarily beautiful. 🏠What facilities are worth noting? It's a particularly mature scenic spot with very complete facilities, but general stores seem to open after 8:30, and there are few power banks. 📷About how to take pictures and choose locations: Just go to the specific check-in points mentioned above. Relatively speaking, zoom telephoto lenses may be more suitable. It's very free, you can shoot portraits, but you still need to look ahead. 🚗How to get there? There is a large parking lot outside the west gate, but if you follow the route of this note, it is best to take public transportation. ☎️How to buy tickets and make reservations? You can buy them on the spot, except for snowing times, other times the tickets are relatively loose. 🔥TIPS that must be seen before going to check in: 1. Wear more when it's cold, especially before sunrise. 2. Some bridges on the West Causeway are not easy to walk, the slope is large, pay attention to safety. 3. Look ahead at which gate to exit, the efficiency will be high when you walk down. 4. It's not allowed to go on the ice, it's dangerous. Specific location: No. 19 Xinjian Gongmen Road, Haidian District Time: Open at 6:30, stop entering at 18:00, close at 19:00 Type of play: Appreciation of ancient buildings, landscape photography

Kunming Lake, formerly known as "Qili Po", "Wengshan Po", "Dapo Lake", and "West Lake". It is a lake within the Summer Palace in Haidian District, Beijing, and belongs to the water system of the Tonghui River, a tributary of the North Canal of the Haihe River Basin. In ancient times, it originated from the waters of Yuquan Mountain, and since the construction of the Jingmi Canal in 1966, most of its water has come from this canal. Its outflow is the South Chang River (the lower section of the Jingmi Canal). The area of Kunming Lake is about three-quarters of the total area of the Summer Palace, with a total area of about 2,000 acres. During the Yuan Dynasty, it began as a water source for the Tongzhou canal transport, and from the Jin Dynasty onwards, it was gradually developed into a royal garden, reaching its grand scale in the Qing Dynasty as the Summer Palace. After the Republic of China, it became a public park. Kunming Lake was the waterway of the Tonghui River, the canal transport route of the Yuan Dynasty capital, and the waterway for the emperors of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties to visit the Western Hills. It was also the source of water for the capital during the Qing Dynasty. Until the construction of the Yongding River water diversion project in 1956, Kunming Lake was always the only surface water source for Beijing. The Jingmi Canal, built in 1966, also uses Kunming Lake as its main regulating reservoir, making it the lifeline of Beijing.

Spring at the Summer Palace is stunningly beautiful, with peach blossoms🌸, apricot blossoms, and pear blossoms... 🏞️ Climbing up the Longevity Hill, you can overlook the entire Summer Palace, with the lake and mountains in full view. The sparkling waves of Kunming Lake in the distance, set against the blue sky and white clouds, create a picturesque scene. The ancient architectural complex at the foot of the hill is well-arranged, truly embodying the phrase 'the spring is pleasant and the scenery is bright, with clear skies stretching for miles'‼️