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Thetourwilltake4-6hours.Therouteisasfollows:
OutsidetheEastGate–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,theempressandthequeenmother.Allothersusedthesidedoors.