Thetourwilltake4-6hours.Therouteisasfollows:
OutsidetheEastGate-sidetheEastGate–infrontoftheHallofbenevolenceandLongevity-infrontofGardenofVirtuousHarmony-infrontoftheGrandTheaterBuilding-alakesidewalkfromtheGardenofVirtuousHarmonytotheHalloJadeRipples-infrontoftheoJadeRipples-infrontoftheYiyunguan(ChamberofMortalBeing)-Hallofhappinessandlongevity-infrontoftheYaoyue(ChamberofMortalBeings)-HallofHappinessandLongevity-infrontoftheYaoyue(InvitingtheMoon)GateoftheLongCorridor-strollingalongtheLongCorridor-visitinganexhibitionofculturalrelics-infrontoftheHallofDispellingClouds-insidetheHallofDispellingClouds-atoptheTowerofBuddhistIncense-onahilltopleadingfromthebackdooroftheTowerofBuddhistIncense-onahilltopleadingfromthebackdooroftheTowerofBuddhistIncense-insidetheGardenofHarmoniousInterest–outsidethesouthgatetoSuzhouShoppingStreet-atopthestonebridgeinsidetheSuzhoushoppingstreet–ontheroadfromthesouthgateofsuzhoushoppingstreet-ontheroadformthesouthgateofsuzhoushoppingstreettothemarbleboat-infrontoftheruinsoftheGardenofcompletespring–alongthelakesidebythemarbleboat-boatingontheKunmingLake-leavingoutthroughtheEastGate.
(Outsidetheeastgate)
LadiesandGentlemen:WelcometotheSummerPalace.(Aftertheself-introductionoftheguide-interpreter)Ihopethiswillbeaninterestingandenjoyabledayforyou.
Duringourtour,youwillbeintroducedtotimehonoredhistoricalandculturaltraditions,aswellaspicturesqueviewsandlandscapes.
TheconstructionoftheSummerPalacefirststartedin1750.Atthattime,theQingDynastywasinitsheydayandChinawasapowerfulAsiancountrywithvastterritories.ThemonarchinpowerthenwasEmperorQianlong.Withsupremepowerandlargesumsofmoney,hesummonedskillfulandingeniousartisansfromalloverthecountrytocarryoutthisconstructionworkinhonorofhismother`sbirthday.After15yearsandoneseventhofthenation`sannualrevenuespent,theGardenofClearRippleswascompletedandservedasatestimonytoChina`sscientificandtechnologicalachievements.In1860,thisvastroyalgardenwasburntdownalongwiththeYuanmingYuan(GardenofPerfectionandBrightness)byAngol-Frenchalliedforces.In1888,EmpressDowagerCixireconstructedthegardenonthesamesiteandrenamedittheGardenofNurturedHarmony(SummerPalace).Characterizedbyitsvastscopeandrichculturalembodiments,theSummerPalacehasbecomeoneofthemostfamoustouristsitesintheworld.
ThisisthemainentrancetotheSummerPalace-theEastGateOntopoftheeavesofthedoorthereisaplaquebearingaChineseinscriptionwhichmeans“GardenofNurturedHarmony”,whosecalligrapherwasEmperorGuangxu.Thegatethatyouarenowenteringwasusedexclusivelybytheemperor,theempressandthequeermother.Allothersusedthesidedoors.
(InsidetheEastGate)
theSummerPalacecanbedividedintotwoparts:LongevityHillandKunmingLake.Thewholegardencoversanareaof290hectares,ofwhihthree-fourthsconsistsofalakeandrivers.Thisimperialgardenfeatures3,000room-unitsandcoversanexpanseof70,000squaremeterswithmorethan100picturesquespotsofinterest.ThelayoutoftheSummerPalaceincludesthreegroupsofarchitectures:palaceswheretheemperorattendedtostateaffairs,restingpalacesoftheemperorandempress,andsightseeingareas.EnteringtheEastGatewewillcomethetheofficequarters.EnteringtheEastgatewewillcometotheofficequarters.Theannexhallsonbothsideswereusedforofficialsonduty.
ThisistheGateofBenevolenceandLongevity.AbovethedoorthereisaplaquebearingthesamenameinbothChineseandManchuriancharacters.ThegiganticrockintheforegroundisknownasTaihurock,orerodedlimestone,quarriedinJiangsuProvinceandplacedheretodecoratedthegarden.