Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) Ticket Booking & Visitor Guide
Empress Dowager Cixi's summer retreat and the masterpiece of Qing-dynasty imperial gardens — 290 hectares, three quarters of which is Kunming Lake. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. Klook combo from ¥50, including the Tower of Buddhist Incense, Wenchang Gallery, Suzhou Street and Garden of Virtue & Harmony.
Quick Summary
| Basic admission | Peak ¥30 / off-peak ¥20 |
|---|---|
| Combo (with 4 inner sites) | Peak ¥60 / off-peak ¥50 |
| Klook discount | From ¥30 (combo from ¥50) |
| Opening hours | Apr–Oct 06:30–18:00 / Nov–Mar 07:00–17:00 |
| Location | Subway Line 4 'Beigongmen' Exit D |
| Suggested time | 2.5–6 hours |
| Area | 290 hectares (Kunming Lake 220 ha) |
1. About the Summer Palace
The site began as the Garden of Clear Ripples (Qingyiyuan), built in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother. It was burned down by Anglo-French forces in 1860 during the Second Opium War. In 1888 Empress Dowager Cixi diverted 30 million taels of silver from the navy budget to rebuild it, renaming it Yiheyuan ("Garden of Nurtured Harmony") as her personal "summer palace." It was damaged again by the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, restored in 1902, opened as a public park in 1928, declared a National Key Cultural Relic in 1961, and inscribed by UNESCO in 1998.
It is the grand synthesis of classical Chinese garden design — combining the imperial scale of the north (Longevity Hill, the Tower of Buddhist Incense), the soft-water charm of Jiangnan (Kunming Lake, Suzhou Street), and a miniature reproduction of Hangzhou's West Lake. Within these 290 hectares you'll see imperial Chinese, Jiangnan, Tibetan, and Western architectural styles all at once.
2. 8 Must-See Highlights
- Longevity Hill + Tower of Buddhist Incense — the tallest building in the park (41 m), octagonal, three storeys; the panoramic view from the top.
- Long Corridor — the world's longest painted gallery (728 m), with 14,000+ painted scenes of figures and landscapes.
- Kunming Lake — the artificial lake covering three quarters of the park; cruise it in a painted barge.
- 17-Arch Bridge — a 150 m stone bridge on Kunming Lake's east bank. Around the winter solstice the setting sun shines through all 17 arches — the famous "golden light" phenomenon.
- Marble Boat (Qingyan Fang) — the "unsinkable boat" of marble on the western shore, beloved by Cixi.
- Hall of Benevolence and Longevity — first hall when entering through the East Gate; where Cixi and Emperor Guangxu held audiences.
- Garden of Virtue and Harmony Grand Theatre — one of China's four greatest historic theatre stages; Cixi's private playhouse.
- Suzhou Street — built in 1750 to mimic Suzhou's Shantang Street; an "imperial shopping street" of 60 restored shopfronts.
3. Ticket Comparison
| Type | Includes | Peak | Off-peak | Klook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Park entry | ¥30 | ¥20 | ¥30 |
| Combo | + Tower of Buddhist Incense + Wenchang Gallery + Suzhou Street + Garden of Virtue & Harmony | ¥60 | ¥50 | ¥50 |
| + Boat | + Kunming Lake painted barge | +¥35 | +¥35 | +¥30 |
| Children under 6 | Free | — | — | — |
| Student / 60+ | Basic only | ¥15 | ¥10 | — |
My take: get the combo (¥50). The 4 inner sites bought separately total ¥40 + ¥30 admission — the combo at ¥60 saves ¥10, and Klook's ¥50 combo saves ¥30 vs piecemeal.
4. Recommended Route (4-hour full version)
The Summer Palace has 8 gates. The smartest in/out plan is enter at the North (Beigongmen), exit at the East (Donggongmen) — best light, fewer crowds.
- 09:00 enter at North Gate — Tower of Buddhist Incense framed in front of you.
- 09:15: Suzhou Street (the Jiangnan replica).
- 10:00: climb Longevity Hill to the Tower of Buddhist Incense (panorama over Kunming Lake — must do).
- 11:00: walk the full Long Corridor (728 m).
- 11:45: Marble Boat (at the west end of the corridor).
- 12:30 lunch: the in-park "Tingli Guan" imperial-cuisine restaurant ¥80–200/pp, or pack your own.
- 13:30: walk the West Causeway to the 17-Arch Bridge (~30 min).
- 14:00: South Lake Island + 17-Arch Bridge for photos.
- 14:30: head back toward the East Gate via the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity and the Grand Theatre.
- 15:30 exit East Gate — Yuanmingyuan ruins are a walk away.
2.5-hour highlights version
North Gate entry → Tower of Buddhist Incense → Long Corridor → Marble Boat → boat to South Lake Island → 17-Arch Bridge → exit East Gate. The boat saves 30 minutes of walking.
5. Best Time to Visit
- Apr–May: magnolia, peach blossom, crab-apple in bloom; 15–22 °C.
- Sep–Oct: clear, crisp days — Kunming Lake at its best.
- Around the winter solstice (late December): the "golden light" phenomenon at the 17-Arch Bridge — the setting sun threading all 17 arches. Photographers nationwide gather here.
- Winter: Kunming Lake freezes over for ice-skating (Jan–Feb only).
- Avoid: May 1, October 1, Spring Festival — peak crowds; July–August for heat and storms.
6. Getting There & Back
- Subway Beigongmen: Line 4 "Beigongmen" Exit D, 5-min walk to North Gate. Strongly recommended — best first view.
- Subway Xiyuan: Line 4 / 16 "Xiyuan" Exit C2, 5-min walk to East Gate.
- DiDi / taxi: from Tian'anmen ¥60, from PEK Airport ¥130.
- From the Forbidden City: Line 1 → transfer at Xidan to Line 4, ~50 min.
7. How to Save Money
- Klook combo saves ¥30 (vs buying the 4 sites separately);
- Visit off-peak (Nov–Mar): basic ticket only ¥20;
- Children under 6 free;
- Student / 60+ half price;
- Beijing parks annual pass: ¥200/yr for residents covers Summer Palace + 13 other parks;
- Skip the boat: walking covers everything; saves ¥35.
8. Practical Tips
- Real-name reservation: all tickets need ID/passport.
- Not allowed: selfie sticks, drones, pets, outside food (in some zones).
- Toilets: 20+ around the park.
- Strollers / wheelchairs: main paths are accessible, but Longevity Hill has many stairs.
- Audio guide: ¥40/device at the gate, with Chinese/English/Japanese.
- Download the official Summer Palace app: includes route navigation and detailed site notes.
- Bring: comfortable walking shoes (5+ km on foot), sun protection, raincoat.
9. Combine With Other Activities
The Summer Palace can fill a day on its own. With more time:
- Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) — 15-min walk from East Gate. The "Garden of Gardens," burned by the Anglo-French forces in 1860.
- Peking University — near Xiyuan station; Weiming Lake + Boya Pagoda, free.
- Tsinghua University — also near Xiyuan; free entry.
- Fragrant Hills Park — late October to early November for red leaves (30-min drive).
10. Why Book Through Us
- Combo saves ¥30 vs piecemeal (38% off);
- Scan-and-enter at the gate;
- 6-month validity;
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead;
- Multilingual customer support (CN/EN/JP).