Summer Palace

Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill give the Summer Palace its broad structure, with halls, corridors, bridges and gardens set within it. UNESCO stresses the way the imperial garden joins natural land and water with built features. That relationship is the strongest thread for a visit. This is not a palace to cross quickly along one axis, and completing a circuit of the entire lake is not proof of having understood it.

From your chosen entrance, reach a section of lake shore and view the buildings on Longevity Hill from a distance before approaching the Long Corridor or the halls at the hill's foot. The corridor is more than shelter from the sun: as you walk, trees, columns, roofs and water continually form new views. If open and within your energy, climb partway up the hill to look back over the lake. With less time, longer pauses by the water and adjoining architecture still explain the principal design. The Seventeen-Arch Bridge and South Lake Island take different forms from different shores; decide whether to approach them by real walking distance and the day's route rather than their apparent closeness on a map.

The garden is large, and entrance and exit choices determine your actual walk. Boats, individual buildings and services may vary by season, weather or maintenance; check official notices. Exposed shorelines can be hot in summer and windy in winter, while stone steps and bridges require care after rain or snow. Do not touch painted surfaces or climb barriers, and keep narrow corridors open for others.