Summer Palace

Summer Palace, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1998, was described as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The palace covers an area of 2.9 sq km out of which 2.2 sq km is occupied by an artificial lake called Kunming Lake. The soil that was dug out was used to create a hill which was called Longevity Hill. There are several grand buildings built on the hill. They are build aesthetically to add aura to the breathtaking surrounding gardens and the lake. Summer Palace has more than 3000 structures consisting of bridges, corridors, towers and a magnificent marble ship on the shores of the lake.