The travel diaries: China - The Summer Palace
The origins of the Summer Palace date back to the 12th century and the Jin Dynasty, but its construction was finished nearly 600 years later, in 1764. The complex is dominated by the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake and occupies 2.9 square kilometers. The lake is man-made and the excavated soil was used to build the hill. Its present day name was given in 1888, 颐和园 Yihéyuán. It became a public atraction in 1914 and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998. (Wikipedia) This is day 3 and the weather was absolutely amazing. Blue skies and a sunny day, perfect! This marble boat is 96 meters long!!! The Palace grounds are huge and I circled the whole lake, making this a whole day trip. You can squeeze this as a half-day activity, but I would still say it is best to spend the whole day! It's worth taking the time to visit the halls, explore the passages and enjoy the view. While you are still in Beijing and it is a really big city, here you can escape the city madness an...