In Technicolored Life: Summer Palace, Beijing's Imperial Garden

The Summer Palace is another famous tourist destination within Beijing. In December 1998 UNESCO included it on its World Heritage List. Declared as "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value."

The Summer Palace started out as the Garden of Clear Ripples, Artisans then reproduced the architecture styles of various palaces in China, at present the Summer Palace comprises of a 60-meter high Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 sq. km, three quarters of which is the Kunming Lake.

Hall of Benevolence and Longevity

The Longevity Hill was initially named Gold Mountain Palace during the Jin Dynasty but was renamed to Jug Hill, according to a legend a jar with a treasure inside was once found on the hill, however the loss of the said is said to have coincided with the fall of the Ming Dynasty as had been predicted.

Beautiful Structures in the Summer Palace

Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty gave the hill its present-day name, the Longevity Hill, in celebration of his mother's 60th birthday. The front part of the hill is rich in splendid halls and pavilions while the back part is queit with natural beauty.

Narrow Corridors and Empty Spaces

Pavilions found in the Summer Palace

Longevity Hill is adorned with an ensemble of grand buildings, The Cloud-Dispelling Temple, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, and the Sea of Wisdom Temple form a south-north oriented axis.

Temple of Buddhist Virtue

Empty Spaces at the Summer Palace

Rugged Halls in the Summer Palace

Pavilion at the Summer Palace

Having a moment in the Palace

The Kunming Lake is the central lake on the grounds of the Summer Palace. It was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou, the entire 2.2 sq. km lake is man made and the excavated soil was used to build the Longevity Hill.

Marble Boat on the grounds of the Summer Palace

Decorated Paifang in Summer Palace

Kunming Lake was once called Wengshan Pond and Xihu Lake. In those times the lake was used as sources of water both for the city and irrigation of fields. It was Qianlong Emperor who commissioned the transformation of the area into an imperial garden which lasted from 1750 to 1764 with a work force of almost 10,000 laborers.

Boat rides are offered to cross the man made lake.

Pods abundantly growing in the Summer Palace

My favorite part of the Summer Palace would have to be the six bridges. Many features of the Kunming Lake are inspired by natural scenery from region south of the Yangtze River. The West Dike in the Summer Palace is a recreation of the famous Su Di Dike on the West Lake in Hangzhou.

Sunset. Perfect Post Card Picture

Two very different styles of bridges. Both aesthetically appealing.

The West Dike is connected through six bridges, each with its own distinctive style: Jiehu, Binfeng, Yudai, Jing, Lian, and Liu Bridge.

Just like a scene from a romantic movie

The water is so clear you could see right through the bottom of the lake.

Whenever I try to remember this place, the most vivid memory that comes to me would always be this scene, the sun is about to set, the sky is a mix or orange and amber, everything turns into golden colors, the wind breezes through the autumn air, the smell of crisp fresh air fill my lungs, the water shines like the sun and the only sound you hear are the chirping birds.

Qing having the moment at the Summer Palace

The largest bridge on the Kunming Lake is the 17-Arch Bridge that connects the eastern shore with Nanhu Island, which represents the mythical Penglai Island, according to Chinese legend, Yu the Great used an iron ox to prevent flooding, he specifically located the the bronze ox on the eastern dike of Kunming Lake in the direction of the Forbidden City to protect the Forbidden City from the Lake's flood.