11. Yuanmingyuan Park (the Old Summer Palace)
Yuanmingyuan Park, located at the east-central part of Haidian District, is 10 kilometers to the northwest of Xizhimen. The southeast of the park is adjacent to the west gate of Tsinghua University. Yuanmingyuan was built as an imperial garden and maintained under the supervision of emperors of the Qing Dynasty, whose reign collectively lasted around 150 years. Built in 1707 (the 46th year during the reign of Emperor Kangxi) near the Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan is composed of three gardens: Yuanmingyuan (the Garden of Perfection and Brightness), Changchunyuan (the Garden of Eternal Spring) and Qichunyuan (the Garden of Blossoming Spring). Covering an area of 350 hectares, the Park is extolled as the "Garden of Gardens". In 1856, the Old Summer Palace was burned down by British and French invaders. Yuanmingyuan park, completed in 1988, serves as an important patriotism education base, where the ruins of waters, gardens, buildings, rockworks, and sculptures still exist. A history gallery of Yuanmingyuan is built in the Relic Area of the Western-style Buildings for reflection and remembrance.
Address: No.28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District, Beijing
Main Attractions: Grand Gate, The Hall of Justice and Honor, Relic Area of the Western-style Buildings, the Grand Waterworks (dashuifa) and Lion Grove Garden.
Website: www.yuanmingyuanpark.com
Tel: +86-10-62543673
Tickets:
Admission fee: adults CNY 10 / person; students CNY 5 / person
Monthly Admission Ticket: CNY 15 / person
Relic Area of the Western-style Buildings (including Dashuifa, the Exhibition Hall and the Labyrinth): adults CNY 15 / person; students CNY 5 / person
The Exhibition of Yuanmingyuan Panoramic Model during its Flourishing Period: adults CNY 10 / person; students CNY 5 / person
*The monthly admission ticket only covers the admission fee. Yearly admission ticket for Beijing parks doesn't apply here.
Opening Hours:
January, February, March, November, December: ticket sales from 7:00 to 17:30 and the park is open from 7:00 to 21:30.
April, September, October: ticket sales from 7:00 to 18:30 and the park is open from 7:00 to 20:30.
May to August: Ticket sales from 7:00 to 19:00 and the park is open from 7:00 to 21:00.
How to get there
Subway: take Subway Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Station (Exit B)
Bus: take Bus No.331 / 432 / 498 to Yuanmingyuan Nanmen stop.