Early spring beauty at the Summer Palace

The Summer Palace landscape, consisting mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, with much of it under water. The area's 70,000 square meters of land features a variety of palaces, gardens and other ancient-style architectural structures.

Well known for its large and priceless collection of cultural relics, it was among the first group of historical and cultural heritage sites in China to be placed under special state protection.