Beijing 2009 - Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was built as a resort for the emporers to escape the summer heat which can be unbearable. This huge playground for the emporers was entirely man-made, including the Kunming Lake in the centre which covers an area of 2.2 square kilometers. The lake was modeled after the West Lake in Hangzhou which was famous for its unrivaled natural beauty. 

The entrance to Summer Palace.

The beautiful Kunming Lake. It must have been a huge engineering spectacle during it's construction. The removed earth was used to form the surrounding hills.

Compared to the buildings in the Forbidden City which are authoritative and imposing, the buildings in Simmer Palace are more intimate in scale and softer in its architectural treatment.

Thousands of people visit the Summer Palace everyday.