Gallery | 31 : Summer Palace Beijing

Autumn at the Summer Palace, Beijing in 1979.

The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan - Garden of Nurtured Harmony) has a history going back 800 years. It was greatly embellished during the Qing dynasty by Emperor QianLong, it was ransacked by the Western powers in 1860 and after Empress Cixi rebuilt it again in 1900.

It is the largest royal garden covering 294 hectares and is located only 15km from Beijing. It is one of the main tourist attractions of the area.