Summer Palace
252070
224546891
2008-07-09T10:15:18Z
Inwind
2901026
merged with longevity hill
{{coor title dms|39|59|51.00|N|116|16|8.04|E|type:landmark}}
{{Otheruses}}
{{Infobox World Heritage Site
| WHS = Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing
| Image = [[Image:Summer Palace, Beijing, China.jpg|300px|The Summer Palace in Beijing.]]
| State Party = [[Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg|22px]] [[People's Republic of China|China]]
| Type = Cultural
| Criteria = i, ii, iii
| ID = 880
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia and Australasia|Asia-Pacific]]
| Year = 1998
| Session = 22nd
| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/880
}}
The '''Summer Palace''' or '''Yi he yuan''' ({{zh-tspl|t=頤和園|s=颐和园|p=Yíhé Yuán|l=Garden of Nurtured Harmony}}) is a palace in [[Beijing]], [[China]].
The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by [[Summer Palace#Longevity Hill|Longevity Hill]] (60 [[meter]]s high) and the [[Kunming Lake]]. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is [[water]]. The central [[Kunming Lake]] covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made and the excavated soil was used to build [[Longevity Hill]]. In its compact 70,000 square meters of building space, one finds a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures.
The Summer Palace started out life as the Garden of Clear Ripples ({{zh-tsp|t=清漪園|s=清漪园|p=Qīngyī Yuán}}) in 1750 (Reign Year 15 of [[Qianlong Emperor|Emperor Qianlong]]). Artisans reproduced the garden architecture styles of various palaces in China. Kunming Lake was created by extending an existing body of water to imitate the [[West Lake]] in [[Hangzhou]]. The palace complex suffered two major attacks--during the Anglo-French allied invasion of 1860 (with the [[Old Summer Palace]] also ransacked at the same time), and during the [[Boxer Rebellion]], in an attack by the eight allied powers in 1900. The garden survived and was rebuilt in 1886 and 1902. In 1888, it was given the current name, ''Yihe Yuan''. It served as a summer resort for [[Empress Dowager]] [[Cixi]], who diverted 30 million [[tael]]s of silver, said to be originally designated for the Chinese navy ([[Beiyang Fleet]]), into the reconstruction and enlargement of the Summer Palace.
[[Image:Summer Palace Panorama.jpg|thumb|250px|A panorama shot taken in winter.]]
In December 1998, [[UNESCO]] included the Summer Palace on its [[World Heritage List]]. It declared the Summer Palace an "outstanding expression of the creative art of Chinese landscape garden design, incorporating the works of humankind and nature in a harmonious whole." It is a popular tourist destination but also serves as a recreational [[park]].
==Location==
The Summer Palace is easily accessible from most parts of Beijing. Head north at Suzhou Bridge on the north-western [[3rd Ring Road]], north at Sihai Bridge on the north-western [[4th Ring Road]], or south at the northern [[5th Ring Road]] at the [[Zhongguancun]]/Beiqing Road exit. Public transportation also reaches the Summer Place.
==Longevity Hill==
===History===
[[Image:Ice skating summer palace2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|View of Longevity Hill with Kunming
Lake in the foreground and the Tower of Buddhist Incense in the center.]]
When the [[Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)|Jin Dynasty]] emperor [[Emperor Hailingwang of Jin|Wányán Liàng]] moved his capital to the Beijing area, he had a ''Gold Mountain Palace'' built on the site of present-day Longevity Hill. In the [[Yuan Dynasty]], the hill was renamed from ''Gold Mountain'' to ''Jug Hill'' (Weng Shan). This name change is explained by a legend according to which a jar with a treasure inside was once found on the hill. The loss of the jar is said to have coincided with the fall of the [[Ming Dynasty]] as had been predicted by its finder. The [[Qianlong Emperor]], who commissioned work on the imperial gardens to which it belongs in [[1749]], gave Longevity Hill its present-day name in celebration of his mother's 60th birthday.
===Buildings===
On its southern slope, Longevity Hill is adorned with an ensemble of grand buildings: The [[Cloud-Dispelling Hall]], the [[Temple of Buddhist Virtue]], and the [[Sea of Wisdom Temple]] form a south-north (lakeside - peak) oriented axis which is flanked by various other buildings. In the center of the Temple of Buddhist Virtue stands the [[Tower of Buddhist Incense]] (Fo Xiang Ge), which forms the focal point for the buildings on the southern slope of Longevity Hill. The tower is built on a 20-meter-tall stone base, is 41 meters high with three storeys and supported by eight [[ironwood]] (lignumvitae) pillars.
==More images==
[[Image:Yft-2.jpg|right|thumb|200px|View over Kunming Lake towards Yu Quan Hill with Yu Feng Pagoda.]]
<gallery>
Image:Barco de marmol palacio verano pekin.jpg|The famous [[Marble Boat]] on the grounds of the Summer Palace.
Image:17 bridge.JPG|[[Kunming Lake]] with the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
Image:100 0410.JPG|Standing atop the [[Longevity Hill]], the Tower of Buddhist Incense is the highest building in the Summer Palace.
Image:Longcorridor.jpg|[[Long Corridor]]
Image:100 0482.JPG|Hall of Benevolence and Longevity
Image:100 0394.JPG|Tower of lake and mountain views
Image:Qilin Statue at the Summer Palace in Beijing.jpg|Bronze Qilin statue inside the Summer Palace.
Image:Yi He Yuan - A. Holdrinet.jpg|The Summer Palace in 2003
</gallery>
==External links==
{{commons|Summer Palace, Beijing}}
*[http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Tour/ScenicSpots/Parks/t20040123_101281.htm Summer Palace (from the Beijing Official Web Portal)]
*[http://www.beijingtrip.com/attractions/summer/ BeijingTrip.com: Summer Palace]
{{World Heritage Sites in China}}
[[Category:Beijing Summer Palace| ]]
[[Category:Chinese architectural history]]
[[cs:Letní palác v Pekingu]]
[[de:Neuer Sommerpalast (Peking)]]
[[es:Palacio de Verano]]
[[eo:Somera Palaco]]
[[fr:Palais d'été]]
[[ko:이화원]]
[[it:Palazzo d'Estate (Pechino)]]
[[nl:Zomerpaleis (Peking)]]
[[ja:頤和園]]
[[no:Sommerpalasset]]
[[pt:Yiheyuan]]
[[ro:Palatul de vară]]
[[ru:Летний дворец (Пекин)]]
[[fi:Kesäpalatsi (Peking)]]
[[sv:Sommarpalatset]]
[[vi:Di Hòa Viên]]
[[zh:颐和园]]