Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan)

Considered to be one of the finest classical gardens in China, the Summer Palace was first built in 1153 and served as a retreat for the royal court to escape the heat in the city. The imperial residences are built on the shores of Kunming Lake, which contains small islands, ornamental bridges and a marble boat that was once a teahouse. The palace was rebuilt in 1888 by the Empress Dowager Ci Xi who spent large amounts of money, from a fund intended for building a Chinese navy, on bringing the garden to its present state of glory. Covering an area of 290 hectares (717 acres), the gardens consist of a large lake with halls, towers, galleries, pavilions and bridges dotting the surrounding hilly land.