Rediscovering Childhood Joys: Revisiting the Summer Palace, September 2022 (Part 2)

Born in the 1960s, the happiest moments of my primary and middle school years were the spring or autumn outings. Back then, we usually went to parks, mostly within the city or on the outskirts, like the Summer Palace, Beihai, Zhongshan Park and such. The news of an outing would have us buzzing with excitement for days. Our parents would prepare bread, biscuits and other treats for us to bring along; some less well-off families might send a piece of flatbread, or even just sweet potatoes or corn buns. Hardly anyone brought water, let alone drinks—it seems there were no beverages then. We all drank tap water, or in Beijing parlance, we'd 'bend over the dragon's tail' and drink straight from the faucet. The drinking water in the park looked fancier, with special spouts for visitors—same water, just a finer, upward-pointing nozzle. That water tasted sweet and refreshing, far better than today's purified water.

Back then, kids had so many outdoor games: playing gá'er (a game with a spinning top), ice sledding, 'whipping the traitor' (spinning top), marbles, cigarette-card flipping, 'root pulling' (a game with plantain stems), hoop rolling, making 'butt-kites' (homemade kites) and more. Mornings before school and afternoons after class, we'd run wild up and down the streets, utterly carefree. But visits to the park were rare, so school-organized excursions held a special allure for us as children. Once inside the park, we'd be like a flock of joyous birds, chirping nonstop. Though we understood little of what we saw and didn't know how to appreciate it, that novelty, that happiness, that sense of freedom—I still yearn for it deeply.

As I've grown older and seen more of the world, with living conditions improving, joy has become ever more elusive. I travel often to other places, but I hardly ever visit Beijing's parks anymore. The blissful times of childhood are indelible memories. With the pandemic keeping us from distant travels, I decided to revisit Beijing's parks thoroughly, to recapture those childhood joys and finally make sense of things I once only vaguely understood. It's truly a wonderful thing.

The Summer Palace is vast (3.09 square kilometers), mainly consisting of two parts: Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. There's so much to see and do that a detailed exploration might take weeks or even months. My wife and I spent four days (some only half-days) skimming through the highlights, but primarily we were there to stroll, wander, and relive the feel of our childhood visits.

Day one: Entered via New Palace Gate, walked counterclockwise along Kunming Lake—northwards past Kunlun Stone Tablet, Wenchang Tower, Zhichun Pavilion, Ouxiang Pavilion, Leshou Hall, the Long Corridor, Yunhui Yuyu Pailou, the Marble Boat, Suyunyan Gateway, Banbi Bridge, Jiehu Bridge, West Causeway, Xiuyi Bridge, Langru Pavilion, and the Bronze Ox—basically a full counterclockwise loop around Kunming Lake.

Day two: Entered via New Palace Gate, headed north to Wenchang Tower, Yulan Hall, Yiyun Hall, Renshou Hall, the Purple Cloud Gateway (Ziqidonglai), Xiequ Garden, Tiaoyuanzhai, Yinhui Gateway, Suzhou Street, Yanqingshanglou, the Marble Boat, the Long Corridor, Wenchang Tower again, Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Nanhu Island, and back to New Palace Gate, essentially a full loop around the base of Longevity Hill.

Day three morning: Entered via West Gate, took the path south of Tuanhu Lake, then West Causeway, Jade Belt Bridge, Gengzhitu (Plowing and Weaving Scenic Area), path west of Tuanhu Lake, and back to West Gate, roughly circling Tuanhu Lake. Afternoon: Entered via West Gate, walked the west bank of Kunming Lake's west lake, West Causeway, Liu Bridge, Jingming Bridge, and back to West Gate.

Day four: Entered via East Palace Gate, climbed up Pailou Gate to the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense, then from the west side up to Zhishulin, the Sea of Wisdom, the Four Great Regions, down the rear hill, past the Purple Cloud Gateway, Dehe Garden, and exited via East Palace Gate.

The Summer Palace is simply too rich in content; to delve deeper demands a great deal of time. Four days were far from enough, and I'll come back bit by bit to explore further and keep updating.

The Summer Palace, a Qing-dynasty imperial garden, was modeled on Hangzhou's West Lake and conceived around the ancient Chinese myth of 'Three Immortal Abodes at Sea.' It imitates Jiangnan gardens and scenic spots, using the Western Hills as a backdrop, so the view from east to west is the most layered and impressive. The park opens at six in the morning; crowds are thin and the light is just right, offering the best sightseeing conditions.

Getting in and out is very convenient—there are six gates in total.

1. East Palace Gate: Near Xiyuan. Entering leads directly to Renshou Hall and Dehe Garden.

2. Wenchangyuan Gate: South of East Palace Gate. Inside are Wenchang Courtyard, Wenchang Tower, and Zhichun Pavilion.

3. North Palace Gate: Opposite the Central Party School.

4. New Palace Gate: South of Wenchangyuan Gate, facing New Palace Gate Road. From here you can see the Seventeen-Arch Bridge and the Bronze Ox.

5. South Ruyi Gate: At the southeast corner, with Xiuyi Bridge and West Causeway nearby.

6. West Gate: On the southwest side of the Summer Palace's west lake, near Changguantang and West Causeway.

7. North Ruyi Gate: At the northwest corner, west of North Palace Gate, close to Banbi Bridge.

Transportation is excellent, whether by bus or car. There are parking lots at East Palace Gate, New Palace Gate, North Palace Gate, and West Gate, though on holidays spaces are tight—public transport is recommended. Many bus routes stop at the Summer Palace, subway Line 4 has a stop at Beigongmen, and the Xijiao light rail line has a stop at Summer Palace West Gate.

Due to the pandemic, for safety we drove, heading out before 6am or around 3-4pm to avoid peak traffic. The parking lots at New Palace Gate and West Gate are large and not far from the gates.

For ease of narration, I'll recount in chronological order.

Day two, we again entered via New Palace Gate; to save time you could use East Palace Gate. I chose New Palace Gate because the weather was clear, perfect for another look at Kunming Lake from the East Causeway, and for better photos.

The sky was crystal clear, the water an even deeper blue. Longevity Hill and the Western Hills were lush green, and the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense cast a faint reflection on the lake, adding a splash of color.

The Seventeen-Arch Bridge lay like a rainbow over the water, linking near and far mountains, connecting the mortal world to fairyland.

West Causeway, Jade Spring Hill, Longevity Hill; the six bridges, twin pagodas, and Pavilion of Buddhist Incense—so many layers, so well proportioned, near and far, a visual feast.

'If we can be paired like the halcyon, death holds no fear; we'd rather be mandarin ducks than immortals.'

Past Wenchang Tower and Zhichun Pavilion, we arrived at Yulan Gate.

Yulan Gate is the main entrance to Yulan Hall, built in the style of a princely mansion, three bays wide, facing south. Two guardian stones stand outside: stalactite on the left, limestone on the right, called the 'Mother-and-Son Stones.' They were moved here from Jingyi Garden by Empress Dowager Cixi after imprisoning Emperor Guangxu, almost as if to reproach him.

Yulan Hall was first built under Qianlong and renovated under Guangxu. During the Qingyi Garden era it was Emperor Qianlong's study, its name meaning 'rippling lake light'; later it became Emperor Guangxu's bedchamber. The main hall has three bays, with two-bay east and west side rooms, and projecting porches front and back. Above the outer pillars hangs the plaque 'Yulan Hall,' from the line by poet Lu Ji: 'The jade spring ripples lightly.'

After the failure of the 1898 Hundred Days' Reform, Cixi kept Guangxu under house arrest here. To prevent escape, many walls were built in the courtyard, traces of which remain.

Yulan Hall is a three-part courtyard. The main hall is flanked by Xiefen Room to the east and Ouxiang Pavilion to the west. All three originally had back doors: the east room led to Renshou Hall, the west room to the lakeside dock, and the main hall's rear door faced Yiyun Hall.

In the courtyard behind Yulan Hall, two rockeries of Taihu stone were piled up—Qianlong's improvisation after visiting the Lion Grove in Suzhou, hence named Lion Grove. On the west side of the courtyard, facing the lake, stands Xijia Pavilion, named after Tao Yuanming's line 'The mountain air is beautiful at sunset.' A two-story structure with a flush-gable roof, it's a perfect spot to enjoy the setting sun and gathering dusk.

West of Xijia Pavilion is a carved-balustrade path along the lake, known as 'Nine Bends,' which leads north and west to Cixi's bedchamber, Leshou Hall.

Yiyun Hall is north of Lion Grove, east of Dehe Garden, west of Leshou Hall. Once Emperor Qianlong's library, in the late Qing it became the bedchamber of Empress Longyu, Guangxu's wife. The courtyard gate is a festooned gate with the plaque 'Yiyun Gate.' Inside are the main hall and side halls.

Walking toward East Palace Gate, we reached Renshou Hall. Originally called Qinzhang Hall, it was built in the 15th year of Qianlong's reign, burned by Anglo-French forces in 1860, and rebuilt in the 12th year of Guangxu's reign, its name taken from the Analects meaning 'the benevolent are long-lived.' This was where Cixi and Guangxu held court, received congratulations, and met foreign envoys—the main political venue in the Summer Palace and one of the sites where the reform movement was plotted in modern Chinese history.

The hall's outer pillars bear a plaque inscribed by Emperor Guangxu in both Manchu and Chinese: 'Renshou Hall.' The interior is now closed to visitors. Inside can be seen two plaques: 'Great Round Precious Mirror' and 'Longevity in Harmony with Benevolence.'

In front of the hall, the white marble terrace—called a yuetai—features a pair of bronze dragons, a pair of bronze phoenixes, a pair of bronze vats, and four bronze incense burners. These bronzes are beautifully shaped and intricately decorated, showcasing superb craftsmanship.

Two bronze mythical beasts in front are particularly eye-catching: dragon's head, lion's tail, deer antlers, ox hooves, scales all over—a bizarre and strange creature, the legendary auspicious beast, the qilin.

Five Taihu stones, each about 4 meters tall, stand before Renshou Hall, one in each corner symbolizing the four seasons. Together they represent the Five Old Men Peaks of Mount Lu, evoking longevity, and are called 'Peaks of Virtual Old Age.' The central stone, facing Renshou Gate, is called the Longevity Star Stone. It was moved here in the 12th year of Guangxu's reign from Mo'ergen Garden (now part of Peking University) during the palace's renovation. Look—doesn't it resemble an old man with white hair and youthful face?

In front of Renshou Hall stands Renshou Gate, a ceremonial gate and the second gate of the Summer Palace.

Beside Renshou Hall is a well—the Longevity Well. Seemingly ordinary, it's actually quite special, said to be Empress Dowager Cixi's personal water source. It was dug in 1903 by her decree. Legend has it that one summer, Cixi came to the Summer Palace to escape the heat, fell ill from the journey, and couldn't recover. She dreamed of a well beside Renshou Hall. Upon waking, she had it dug, and water indeed flowed. After one bowl, she felt refreshed and cured. Thus she believed the water had healing powers and could even prolong life, naming it the Longevity Well. After the Qing dynasty fell, it was abandoned; the current well, rebuilt in 1984, bears the calligraphy of renowned artist Wang Xiaju.

North of Renshou Hall lies Dehe Garden, originally the site of Yichun Hall in Qianlong's time, rebuilt under Guangxu. In 1891, Cixi spent 710,000 taels of silver to build this opera house for her own entertainment. Back then, it was ranked among the three great Qing palace stages, along with the Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds in the Forbidden City and the Pavilion of Clear Sounds in the Chengde Mountain Resort.

Dehe Garden requires a separate ticket and I'll visit it later in detail. A narrow path east of Dehe Garden leads to the rear hill.

At the end of the path, turn right to a gate-tower structure—the Purple Cloud Coming from the East Gateway (Ziqidonglai Chenguan). A two-story pavilion sits atop it, surrounded by crenellations of carved blue brick. The front plaque reads 'Purple Cloud from the East,' the back 'Rosy Clouds Rise at Dawn,' both inscribed by Emperor Qianlong.

Pass through this gateway and you reach Xiequ Garden.

Xiequ Garden, nestled in the northeast corner of Longevity Hill, is a petite gem, a 'garden within a garden.' It was built by Qianlong in imitation of Jichang Garden at the foot of Huishan in Wuxi, originally named Huishan Garden. After completion, Qianlong wrote a poem with a preface saying, 'a single pavilion, a single path, suffices for curious delight.' Under Jiaqing it was renovated and renamed 'Xiequ Garden,' meaning 'Garden of Harmonious Interest.'

Water from the rear lake of Kunming Lake flows into Xiequ Garden, forming a lotus pond. Around it, artisans piled rocks, built halls, erected bridges, and crafted the garden, which contains thirteen pavilions, terraces, halls, and waterside pavilions, interconnected by a hundred open galleries and five differently styled bridges.

There's also a Zhichun Pavilion here, just to the right of the entrance.

Yinlv Pavilion and Xiqiu Pavilion.

Of the five bridges in Xiequ Garden, the most famous is Zhiyu Bridge. Its name comes from the Zhuangzi story about Zhuangzi and Huizi on the Hao River. On the stone arch at the bridgehead, Qianlong inscribed 'Zhiyu Bridge' (Knowing-the-Fish Bridge).

The lotus in Xiequ Garden seem heartier than elsewhere, the blooms more vivid.

Outside the garden, a large cat strolled leisurely. Spotting a camera, it obligingly lay on a boulder and struck a pose—clearly the cats here are used to attention.

Continue north, cross Wenge Bridge, and reach the north bank of Houxi River.

Tiaoyuanzhai (Gazing-afar Studio), popularly called 'Festival-Watching Tower,' was built in the 17th year of Guangxu's reign as a convenient spot for Cixi to watch temple processions. The processions were for Miaofengshan Temple, whose incense fires burned continuously from the Ming dynasty to the late Qing. Folk performers and pilgrims would walk from the city to Miaofengshan, passing the Summer Palace. Back then, the only village behind the palace was Dayouzhuang. By the time they reached it, it was noon, and many would rest and eat there. Over time, Dayouzhuang became a scenic stop on the route. To let Cixi enjoy the annual spectacle without leaving the garden, this elevated hall was built. She would sit on her throne inside, looking down upon the bustling crowd outside the garden wall and the colorful performances.

Xiyanlanwu (Creek Mist and Mountain Vapors) is the waterside structure of Danning Hall.

Heading west along the bank, due to construction, we crossed a bridge to the south bank of Houxi River. The river comes alive with lotus, the lotus beautified by the river.

At the eastern end of Suzhou Street, which was closed, the shore path ended, so we scrambled up a steep slope to reach the Yinhui Gateway up close.

Yinhui Gateway, built during Qianlong's reign, has the stone inscription 'Yinhui' (Tiger's Glow) on the east side and 'Yishuang' (Suppressing the Heat) on the west. Along with the western Tongyun Gateway, they form the land checkpoints of Suzhou Street.

From Yinhui Gateway, you can overlook the easternmost end of Suzhou Street.

The Cifu Pailou stands at the north entrance of Song Tang (Pine Hall). First built under Qianlong and restored after 1949, it faces south, with plaques reading 'Cifu' (Compassionate Blessing) on the north and 'Huiyin' (Benevolent Cause) on the south. It's a three-bay, four-pillar, seven-roofed pailou with yellow glazed tiles, sharing the highest specification with the pailous at East Palace Gate and Yunhui Yuyu.

The carvings and paintings on the brackets are vivid and colorful. The lions on the pillar bases are adorably naive.

The Cifu Pailou marks the central axis of Longevity Hill's rear slope; behind it face the Long Bridge and North Palace Gate, with Suzhou Street below.

Suzhou Street is a market street built along both banks of the rear river in imitation of Jiangnan water towns, created during Qianlong's reign for the imperial family to enjoy a shopping stroll. In 1860, dozens of its shore-side shops were burned down by foreign forces; it was rebuilt in 1986.

Walking west along the base of Longevity Hill, past Suyunyan Gateway, Xing Bridge, and the Marble Boat, we arrived at the north shore of Kunming Lake. Looking west, the view was beautiful.

After passing the Yunhui Yuyu Pailou, looking south, the backlight made the Central TV Tower align perfectly with Langru Pavilion, as if the pavilion had sprouted a spire.

Passing through Wenchang Tower's city gate, we returned to the east shore. Ripples on the lake, small boats bobbing, the beauty unchanged.

A pool of blue water flows eastward, mandarin ducks frolic at will.

We reached Langru Pavilion again, crossed the Seventeen-Arch Bridge toward Nanhu Island.

From the bridge, the view of the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense and the Mountain-and-Lake Tower was splendid.

Nanhu Island lies southeast of Kunming Lake, east of the West Causeway, echoing Longevity Hill. The round island hosts the Dragon King Temple, Jianyuan Hall, Tanhui Hall, Yuebo Tower, Yunxiang Pavilion, etc., all rebuilt. To the north, rockeries form a hill topped by Hanxu Hall and Lancuijian.

Together with the two smaller islands—Zhijing Pavilion and Zaojian Hall beyond the West Causeway—Nanhu Island symbolizes the three immortal islands of myth: Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. Nanhu Island itself is called 'Penglai Island,' representing the sea deities' abode.

After landing, three pailous greet you: east, west, and south.

Guangrun Lingyu Temple (Temple of Moistening Rain).

A mountain path leads up to Hanxu Hall. Its predecessor was a three-story tower, Wangchan Pavilion, built under Qianlong; Jiaqing rebuilt it into a single-story hall, Hanxu Hall—an ideal spot for admiring the moon in summer and autumn. Burned in 1860, it was restored under Guangxu. Cixi reviewed naval drills from here.

Facing south, Hanxu Hall overlooks Kunming Lake from its northern viewing platform.

Surrounded by water, Nanhu Island has waterside paths on the west, north, and east, offering superb views. Southwest: Jingming Tower and Lian Bridge. West: Jade Spring Twin Pagodas and Jade Belt Bridge. Northwest: the Marble Boat and Mountain-and-Lake Tower. North: the Pavilion of Buddhist Incense complex. Northeast: Shuimuzhiqin, Xijia Pavilion, Dehe Garden, Wenchang Tower, Zhichun Pavilion. East: Seventeen-Arch Bridge and Langru Pavilion.

Crossing back over Seventeen-Arch Bridge to the east shore, we exited via New Palace Gate, concluding day two.