The Summer Palace landscape, dominated mainly by Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, covers an area of 3,08 square kilometres, three-quarters of which is underwater. It’s 70 000 square metres of building space features a variety of palaces, gardens and ancient style architectural structures.

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

The Summer Palace is a monument to classical Chinese architecture, in terms of both garden design and construction. In December 1998, UNESCO named Summer Palace a World Heritage Site.