The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace resides on the outskirts of modern Beijing and is one of the largest parks in China. Its beauty is a combination of perfectly tended natural scenery and exquisite works of art, both architectural and decorative.
 
Within can be seen a variety of astounding sights, such as the Long Corridor, the Palace Theatre, the Marble Boat and the Nine-Dragon Wall. Each of these marvels is among the finest examples of their kind in the whole of China, and no where can boast as many treasures in one place as the Summer Palace.  The Summer Palace also shows China's great diversity. Many of its architectural features, such as Kumming Lake and the Long Causeway, were created to emulate sites of outstanding beauty from the four corners of China, showing the respect held for all of China's peoples from all Provinces.
 
Similarly, the temples on Longevity Hill, including the Pavilion of the Fragrance of Buddha, were built according to the style of Tibetan Buddhism. The Qing Imperial family were great believers in this religion and ordered these temples built in the same way as the temples in the Chengde Mountains had been built at around the same time.
Date:2008-3-29