During our first weekend in Beijing, we decided to explore one of Beijing’s most famous tourist destinations: The Summer Palace (颐和园). The Summer Palace is in the northwest corner of Beijing which is very close to Peking University. The Summer Palace includes a very large piece of land which include hills, lakes, and many different buildings. The origins of the palace date back to the pre-Qing dynasty. The buildings in the hills of the park were built for various reasons throughout the years, and many different Chinese leaders lived at the Palace. The Palace has a rich history which includes destruction, looting, and rebuilding.
Thousands of people visit the park every day since it was converted into a tourist destination. From the top of the hills, you can get an incredible view of Beijing. You can see the modern buildings and construction surrounding ancient pagodas. At the bottom of the hills, there is a vast lake called Kunming lake, where you can rent boats and explore the park from the water.
Our trip to the Summer Palace was one of my favorite things thus far because of how beautiful the architecture and views were. Also, it was humbling to be in such a historical place of one of the world’s most historical cities.