Beijing Photo Gallery - Summer Palace Part 3

Located in the distant northwest part of the city but now connected by the metro, it's still a long 15km trek to reach the Summer Palace, which should be bundled with nearby Yuan Ming Yuan as an intense half day excursion.

Built as the imperial family's summer retreat, the current layout mostly dates from Emperor Qianlong's era in the 18th century. who commissioned the palace for his mother's 60th birthday in 1750. It was first destroyed by Anglo-French troops in 1860, and rebuilt with funds originally destined to modernize the navy during a time when China was losing wars against foreign countries.

The northeastern section of the park consists of various halls and served as the political centre.

The Hall of Jade Ripples was used by Emperor Qianlong to manage state affairs. During Guangxu's reign, it was also his living quarters. It was built in the traditional "siheyuan" residential style with courtyards amidst the various halls.

Emperor Qianlong stored his books at Yiyun House and named it after a plant that repels moths from eating up the paper. It burned down during the Anglo-French raid in 1860 and rebuilt by Emperor Guangxu as a residence for his Empress.

The Hall of Benevolence and Longevity was the political centre with the Confucian concept that rulers who rule benevolently will have the key to eternity.

While we couldn't enter the historic buildings to admire the decor, I was able to visit the museum, which has a good array of artifacts.