The Summer Palace Travel Guide — China 5A Travel Guide

The Summer Palace is huge — 290 hectares of lake, hill and corridor — so the direction you walk matters. These routes blend the classic circuits with pacing advice from Mafengwo travelers.

Suggested Itinerary

3 hours — Hill & Corridor Classic
East Palace Gate → Hall of Benevolence and Longevity → Long Corridor → Tower of Buddhist Incense → down to the Marble Boat → lakeshore back to the gate.
Half day — The Full Circuit
The route above plus the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, South Lake Island and the garden's quieter northern halls; a lakeside break for tea makes it a day.
Full day — Dike & Back Lake
Add the West Dike walk, Suzhou Market Street, the Garden of Harmonious Virtues opera stage and a boat crossing — a complete imperial-garden immersion.

What to See

1Long Corridor (Chang Lang)Every beam carries a painted scene from classical literature — rain-proof, shade-cool and endlessly photographable.
2Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiang Ge)Climb the temple terrace for the definitive view of Kunming Lake framed by gilded eaves.
3Marble Boat (Qingyan Fang)Cixi's lakeside stone steamboat — the garden's most curious folly, gleaming at the foot of the hill.
4Seventeen-Arch BridgeCross to South Lake Island among 544 carved lions; at winter solstice the last sunlight lights the arches gold.
5Suzhou Market StreetPastel canal-side shopfronts on the back lake, built so the court could 'stroll the Jiangnan water towns'.
6West Dike (Xi Diao)A quieter mile of willows, peach trees and Ming-style bridges — the garden's most restorative walk.

Photo Gallery

The Long Corridor with painted beams along Kunming Lake — The Long Corridor's painted beams

The Seventeen-Arch Bridge crossing to South Lake Island — The Seventeen-Arch Bridge

The Marble Boat at the foot of Longevity Hill — The Marble Boat (Qingyan Fang)

Canal-side shopfronts of Suzhou Market Street — Suzhou Market Street on the back lake

Willows and bridges along the West Dike — Willows on the West Dike

The Tower of Buddhist Incense rising above the lake — Foxiang Ge above the lake

Tips from Real Travelers

Enter through different gates for different moods: the North Palace Gate for Suzhou Street and the back lake, the East Palace Gate for the ceremonial core, the New Palace Gate for quickest lake access.
Metro Line 4 serves both major gates — Beigongmen station (D exit) for the north, Xiyuan station (C exit) for the east.
A full loop of hill, lake and dike runs 8–10 km — comfortable shoes and a lakeside rest make the day.
Ferries cross the lake in season: ride one way and walk back along the shore.
Arrive before 8:00 in spring to photograph blossoms before the crowds; after 16:00, tour groups thin and the light turns warm.
The audio guide is rentable at the gates, but a phone guide app covers the same ground.
Combine naturally with the ruins of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan), 2.4 km north — the two gardens tell one story.
Deep winter turns the lake itself into the playground: once the ice thickens — typically January into February — Kunming Lake becomes Beijing's largest natural ice rink, with skate zones on the main lake, a back-lake area by Suzhou Street and ice slides along the West Dike. Skates, chair-sleds and ice bikes rent on the shore, so unsure skaters can join without strapping on blades; dress warmly, as wind pours straight off the ice.

Distilled from public travel notes on Xiaohongshu and Mafengwo.

Food & Drink

Imperial Courtyard CuisineThe garden's Tingshi Guan and courtyard restaurants serve court-style dishes and pastries within the walls.
Snacks at the GatesBeijing-style yoghurt, tea eggs and bing skewers near the East Palace Gate.
Wudaokou & ZhongguancunBack toward the metro Line 4 corridor, student-priced noodle houses and hotpot chains abound.
Bai Family Mansion (Baijia Dayuan)A Qing prince's pond-side garden mansion on Haidian's Suzhou Street, where staff in imperial costume present court-style banquets and courtyard performances.

Keep Exploring

←OverviewBack to the The Summer Palace overview.
✈Transport & MapHow to get here and get around.
☞Stay & BookWhere to sleep and how to book.

The Summer Palace

Suggested Itinerary

What to See

Long Corridor (Chang Lang)

Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiang Ge)

Marble Boat (Qingyan Fang)

Seventeen-Arch Bridge

Suzhou Market Street

West Dike (Xi Diao)

Photo Gallery

Tips from Real Travelers

Food & Drink

Imperial Courtyard Cuisine

Snacks at the Gates

Wudaokou & Zhongguancun

Bai Family Mansion (Baijia Dayuan)

Keep Exploring

Overview

Transport & Map

Stay & Book

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