The tour will take 4-6 hours. The route is as follows:
Outside the East Gate–in front of the Hall of benevolence and Longevity- in front of Garden of Virtuous Harmony-in front of the Grand Theater Building- a lakeside walk from the Garden of Virtuous Harmony to the Hall o Jade Ripples- in front of the o Jade Ripples- in front of the Yiyunguan (Chamber of Mortal Being)-Hall of happiness and longevity- in front of the Yaoyue (Chamber of Mortal Beings)-Hall of Happiness and Longevity-in front of the Yaoyue (Inviting the Moon) Gate of the Long Corridor- strolling along the Long Corridor- visiting an exhibition of cultural relics- in front of the Hall of Dispelling Clouds- inside the Hall of Dispelling Clouds- atop the Tower of Buddhist Incense- on a hilltop leading from the back door of the Tower of Buddhist Incense- on a hilltop leading from the back door of the Tower of Buddhist Incense- inside the Garden of Harmonious Interest –outside the south gate to Suzhou Shopping Street- atop the stone bridge inside the Suzhou shopping street –on the road from the south gate of suzhou shopping street- on the road form the south gate of suzhou shopping street to the marble boat- in front of the ruins of the Garden of complete spring –along the lakeside by the marble boat-boating on the Kunming Lake-leaving out through the East Gate.
(Outside the east gate)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Welcome to the Summer Palace. (After the self-introduction of the guide -interpreter) I hope this will be an interesting and enjoyable day for you.
During our tour, you will be introduced to time honored historical and cultural traditions, as well as picturesque views and landscapes.
The construction of the Summer Palace first started in 1750. At that time, the Qing Dynasty was in its heyday and China was a powerful Asian country with vast territories. The monarch in power then was Emperor Qianlong. With supreme power and large sums of money, he summoned skillful and ingenious artisans from all over the country to carry out this construction work in honor of his mother＇s birthday. After 15 years and one seventh of the nation＇s annual revenue spent, the Garden of Clear Ripples was completed and served as a testimony to China＇s scientific and technological achievements. In 1860, this vast royal garden was burnt down along with the Yuanming Yuan (Garden of Perfection and Brightness) by Angol-French allied forces. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi reconstructed the garden on the same site and renamed it the Garden of Nurtured Harmony (Summer Palace). Characterized by its vast scope and rich cultural embodiments, the Summer Palace has become one of the most famous tourist sites in the world.
This is the main entrance to the Summer Palace-the East Gate On top of the eaves of the door there is a plaque bearing a Chinese inscription which means "Garden of Nurtured Harmony", whose calligrapher was Emperor Guangxu. The gate that you are now entering was used exclusively by the emperor, the empress and the queen mother. All others used the side doors.