Summer Palace
The Summer Palace (pinyin: Yiheyuan) is a palace in Beijing, China.
The initial construction of the Summer Palace began in 1750. Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China.
It was ransacked, together with the Old Summer Palace in 1860 by French and British troops during the second Opium War. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi diverted 30 million taels of silver, said to be originally designated for the Chinese navy, into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace.
The Summer Palace has been listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.
The Summer Palace's main water body is called Kunminghu, or Kunming Lake. Crossing it is the 17-arch bridge (pinyin: Shiqikong Qiao). Other features of the Summer Palace include Suzhou Street and the Long Corridor, amongst others.
The Summer Palace is easily accessible from most parts of Beijing. Head north at Suzhou Bridge on the north-western 3rd Ring Road, north at Sihai Bridge on the north-western 4th Ring Road, or south at the northern 5th Ring Road at the Zhongguancun/Beiqing Road exit. Public transportation also reaches the Summer Palace.Location