Palace · Beijing, China
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace or Yihe Garden (simplified Chinese: 颐和园; traditional Chinese: 頤和園; pinyin: Yíhéyuán) consists of a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces located in Beijing.
Photo: xiquinhosilva via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Beijing, China |
|---|---|
| Type | Palace |
| Area | Area: 55.95 km² |
| Coordinates | 39.9975° N, 116.2689° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Summer Palace is known for
The Summer Palace or Yihe Garden (simplified Chinese: 颐和园; traditional Chinese: 頤和園; pinyin: Yíhéyuán) consists of a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces located in Beijing.
About Summer Palace
The Summer Palace or Yihe Garden (simplified Chinese: 颐和园; traditional Chinese: 頤和園; pinyin: Yíhéyuán) consists of a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces located in Beijing. An imperial garden during the Qing dynasty, it includes Longevity Hill (万寿山; 萬壽山; Wànshòu Shān), Kunming Lake, and Seventeen-Arch Bridge. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water.
History
The origins of the Summer Palace date back to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. In 1153, when the fourth emperor Wanyan Liang (r. 1150–1161) moved the Jin capital from Huining Prefecture (in present-day Acheng District, Harbin, Heilongjiang) to Yanjing (present-day Beijing), he ordered the construction of a palace in the Fragrant Hills and Jade Spring Hill in what is now the northwest of Beijing.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Summer Palace website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Beijing |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY) |
| Distance from the airport | 16.1 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) · Beijing, China · 18.2 miles away
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) · Beijing, China · 35.1 miles away
- Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TSN) · Tianjin, China · 83.3 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in China
More palaces
Frequently asked questions
What is Summer Palace?
The Summer Palace or Yihe Garden (simplified Chinese: 颐和园; traditional Chinese: 頤和園; pinyin: Yíhéyuán) consists of a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces located in Beijing.
Where is Summer Palace located?
Summer Palace is in Beijing, China. Its coordinates are 39.9975° N, 116.2689° E.
How do I get to Summer Palace?
The nearest town is Beijing, and the nearest airport is Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY), about 16.1 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Summer Palace?
The origins of the Summer Palace date back to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. In 1153, when the fourth emperor Wanyan Liang (r.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4132 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.summerpalace-china.com — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.