World Travel GuidesThe World Heritage Sites Homepage Summer Palace, Beijing, China


  Compare Hotel Room Rates from different Booking Sites   Follow Me on Pinterest 









The Summer Palace in Beijing, China, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. Located 10 km to the northwest of Beijing city center, the Summer Palace that we see was reconstructed in 1866 after it was burned down in the war of 1860. The palace was rebuilt on the same foundation of the original complex. In addition to the palace building, the Summer Palace complex features pavilions, halls, temples and bridges that dot a well-landscapes park.


Summer Palace, Beijing
Summer Palace, Beijing
Author: Kallgan (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

The Summer Palace of Beijing was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 22nd session of the World Heritage Committee when it met in Kyoto, Japan, on 30 November to 5 December, 1998. The Summer Palace was regarded as an outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, a work that brings together humankind and nature into a harmonious whole. Another justification for the inscription was that the Summer Palace epitomizes the philosophy and practice of Chinese garden design, and played a key role in the development of this cultural form throughout the East. The Summer Palace is a potent symbol of one of the major civilizations of the world.


Paiyunmen Gate and Octagon Tower on Longevity Hill, Paiyunmen Gate and Octagon Tower on Longevity Hill, Summer Palace, Beijing
Paiyunmen Gate and Octagon Tower on Longevity Hill, Paiyunmen Gate and Octagon Tower on Longevity Hill, Summer Palace, Beijing
Author: Kallgan (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Summer Palace, Beijing
Summer Palace, Beijing
Author: Jakub Hałun (cc-by-3.0-unported)

Marble Boat, Summer Palace
Marble Boat, Summer Palace
Author: Markuserlandsson (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

Peking Opera House, Summer Palace
Peking Opera House, Summer Palace
Author: star5112 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

Bridge at the Summer Palace
Bridge at the Summer Palace
Author: storyvillegirl (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic)

Tower at the Summer Palace
Tower at the Summer Palace
Author: Saad Akhtar (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 39 59 51 E 116 16 08 10 km to the northwest of Beijing
Inscription Year: 1998
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III

Location Map of the Summer Palace of Beijing


View Summer Palace, Beijing in a larger map

Visiting Summer Palace, Beijing

The Summer Palace is located 6 miles (10 km) to the northwest of Beijing. To reach it, take the subway to the Xizhi Men station, and then take bus 32. You can also take bus 808 from the Beijing Zoo.

Local tour of the Summer Palace

The Beijing Historical Tour takes you to the Summer Palace, Lama Temple and Panda Garden.

Return to China Travel & Hotel Guide
Return to China's World Heritage Sites
Return to World Heritage Sites






  • Tips to become a smart traveler: Useful tips to remember, to get the best out of your travels.
  • Preparing for a Trip: Systematic approach to help you prepare for your trip.
  • How to plan your travel itinerary: Step-by-step build to creating the itinerary for your trip.
  • How to compare hotel room rates: Learn to use a booking search engine to compare rates across all major booking sites.
  • How to pack your luggage: Useful steps to take when packing your luggage.
  • Packing List (PDF): Print out this free packing list to make sure you don't forget anything for your trip.
  • Voltage, Frequency, Plugs & Sockets of the World: Learn about the mains electricity supply in the world.
  • Travelers' List of Plugs and Sockets (PDF): Easy-to-use list of electricity and plugs for all countries.
  • Making International Direct Dail Calls: Learn to make IDD calls from anywhere in the world.
  • IDD Call Prefixes & Country Codes (PDF): Listing of Call Prefixes and Country Codes on one page for you to bring on your trip.
  • Safety Tips When Traveling Alone: Useful advice for when you travel on your own.
  • Guide to Health Matters related to Travel: Comprehensive coverage of different issues related to your health when traveling.
  • Getting Travel Insurance for your trip: Benefits of travel insurance, and advise on when you should signing up for one.
  • Improve your travel photography: Tips to improve your photography skills, especially when traveling.
  • Guide to Traveling Around the World: Useful tips for encircling the globe.


  • Find a hotel







    Follow Me on Pinterest

    Point - Click - Discover!

    Thanks for visiting this webpage. To continue exploring, choose another destination!


    My World Travel Guides - celebrating a beautiful world beautifully.

    Earning a living as a Happy Jobless Guy

    I am a Happy Jobless Guy! I am one of the few people who is fortunate enough to earn an income from my websites that I don't to go out to work. My sites get thousands of visitors every day. It has been a long process, but it is something everybody can achieve, and that means YOU. The following are some articles which you might want to read if you want to do what I do:
    1. Money Making Manual
    2. Create Your Own Money-Printing Machine
    3. Guide for earning a living without holding a job
    4. Generate a Sitemap for your website
    5. Complete Step-by-Step e-Business Building System