The Summer
Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill
and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three
quarters of which is under water. Its 70,000 square meters of
building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and other
ancient-style architectural structures. Well known for its large
and priceless collection of cultural relics, it was among the
first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China
to be
placed under special state protection.
The Summer Palace, originally named Qingyi Yuan
or the Garden of Clear Ripples, was first constructed in 1750.
It was razed to the ground by the Anglo-French Allied Forces
in 1860. The Government of the Qing Dynasty started to rebuild
it in 1886 with funds that it had misappropriated from the Imperial
Navy and other sources. Renamed two years later as Yihe Yuan
or the Garden of Health and Harmony, it was supposed to serve
as a summer resort for the Empress Dowager Cixi. Known also
as the Summer Palace, it was ravaged by the Allied Forces of
the Eight Powers that invaded China in 1900. The damage was
repairedin 1902. Since the founding of the People¡¯s Republic
of China, the Summer Palace has undergone several major renovations.
Its major attractions such as the Four Great Regions, Suzhou
Street, the Pavilion of Bright Scenery, the Hall of Serenity,
the Wenchang Galleries and the Plowing
and Weaving Scenery Area have been successively restored.
