Thesummerpalace（颐和园）HIstory:Ithasahistoryofover800years,whichgoesbacktotheLiao&JinDynasty.FirstlyinJinDynasty,itwasbuilttobeatemporarypalace,namedGoldenHillandGoldenWaterPond;TheninYuanDynasty,theEmperorKublaiKhan（忽必烈可汗）intenttodevelopthewatertransportationsystem,toresponse,waterwasbroughtfromShenshanMountaintotheJadeSpringHillandthentoJarHillPond;InMingDynasty,asthe10themperorwasquitefondoftheoutstandingscenerieshere,heorderedtobuildanimperialresidencebythelake.Fromthenon,thebeautifulplacewithnaturalhill,neatpondandcolorfulbotanybecameanidealplaceforemperor.Thenameof“Thesummerpalace”wasindeedgivenbyexpressCixi,wholovedhereverymuch.Sheembezzledthenavyfundstohavethepalacerebuiltundertheexcuseofsettingupanavyacademyinside.ThisledtobigbudgetdeficitineconomyandwhatwasworseresultedinChinesedefeatintheSinoJapaneseWarin1894.Toavoidwarin1902,CixiescapedtoXianwiththeemperorGuangxu.Thesummerpalace,aswecanimage,wasbadlydestroyedandransackedatthatmoment.WhenCixireturnedafterthewar,shesparednoefforttorebuildthepalaceandcametolivehereeveryyearfromApriltoOctober.Thesummerpalacetodayismoreorlessthesamelookasitwasrebuiltin1903.Reputation:Overthepast50years,ChineseGovernmenthasspentlotsofmoneytorenovatingit.In1988,thesummerpalacewaslistedasaWorldCultureHeritageSitebyUNESCO.DifferencewithTheForbiddenCity:Theroofsherearecoveredwithplainbluishgraytilesinharmonywiththelandscape.Soitlooksmorelikeagardenthananimperialcourt.1:theEastPalaceGate（东宫门）Itisthemainentranceofthesummerpalace.Inancienttimes,onlyemperorandempresscangothroughthecentralgatebecauseofrigidhierarchy.Wecanseethereliefstylecarvingdepictstwodragonsplayingwithapearl.Itsymbolizestheemperorsdignity.2:TheHallofBenevolenceandLongevity（仁寿殿）Thehallwasapoliticalareaforemperortohandlestateaffairs.ThenameofthishallcamefromLunyussaying”thosewhoarebenevolentcanenjoyalonglife.”Lookatthismonster,itsnameisBronzeQilin（铜麒麟）.Qilinisregardedasoneofthe9sonsofthedragon,whichembodiespowerandbravery.Qilinhastheheadofdragon,antlersofdear,hoovesofanox,tailofalionandthebodyofafishwithscalesalloverit.Thiscreatureisbelievedtodetectanydisloyalsubjects.AnotherfamousspotistheLongLifeWell（延年井）,itissaidonceExpressCixioncegotheatstrokewhenshewasintheSummerPalace,shequicklyrecoveredherselfafterdrinkingthewaterhereandgavethenameforthewishesoflonglife.3：LongCorridor（长廊）Thelongcorridorisabout728meterslongwith273sections.Itisthelongest,biggestandmostfamousoneinChinaandevenintheworld.Therearetotally14,000paintingsandpicturespaintedonthebeamsandcrossbeams.Whatattractsmemostisthateachofthesepaintingsisalmostdifferentfromtheother!Soitisreallyartgallery!Thecolorfulpaintingsonthebeamsincludelandscapes,scenicspots,humanfigures,stories,flowers,birdsandsoon.MostofThesefigureswerecopiedfrombeautifulsceneriesinHangzhou.ThatisbecauseduringtheinspectiontripstothesouthofChina,EmperorQianlongwasdeeplyattractedbythesplendidsceneriesthere,inordertokeeplongmemory,heorderthepainterstodrawthemontheceilingofthelongcorridorforregularvisit.Toadded,theLongCorridorwasalsoabirthdaygiftthatEmperorQianlonggavetohismother.In1990,theLongCorridorwaslistedintheGuinnessWorldRecordsasthelongestpaintedcorridorintheworld.In1998,itwaslistedasaworldCultureHeritageSitebyUNESCO.4：TheHallofJadeRipples（玉澜堂）InthelateQingDynasty,itwasEmperorGuangxusprivatelivingquarters。ButafterthefailureoftheReformMovementin1898,ithasbecomeaforbiddenarea,justlikeaprison,thatEmperorGuangxuwasunderthehousearrestfor10yearsheretillhediedintheageof38.5:TheHallofHappinessandLongevity（乐寿堂）ItwasEmpressCixisresidenceandshecametoliveherefromApriltoOctobereveryyearduringtherestofherlifetime.Thishallconsistsof4chambers,includingbreakfastandtearoom,dressingroom,bedroomandheroffice.Cixiwasrattercrazyaboutluxuriouslifesothatsherequestedfancyfood,porcelainplate（瓷器盘）,embroideries（刺绣），chandeliers（水晶灯）etc.6:ThefrontHillArea（前山景区）ThefrontHillAreaincludestheGateofDispellingClouds（排云门），TheHallofDispellingClouds（排云殿）,TheTowerofBuddhistIncense（佛香阁）andtheTempleoftheSeaofWisdom（智慧海）。ExpressCixiusedtocomeandworshipGodsintheTowerofBuddhistIncenseonthe1stand15thdayofeachlunarmonthwhenshewaslivingintheSummerPalace.IntheTempleoftheSeaofWisdom,thestatueofGuanyinBodhisattvaisenshrinedinthecenter.ThistempleisthehighestpointofLongevityHill.7:MarbleBoat（石舫）ItislocatedattheendoftheLongCorridor,neartheStonePavilion.EmperorQianlongbuiltthisMarbleBoatbasedonastorythathappenedinTangDynasty.WeiZheng,theprimeministerinEmperorLiShiminsperiod,oncesaidthat”Watercancarryaboat,anditcanalsocapsizeaboat”.Here,“Water”representedcommonpeopleand“Boat”indicatedtheTangDynastyCourt.EmperorQianlongbuiltthismarbleboatforthepurposeofkeepingthestabilityofQingDynastyforever.8:ThebackHillArea（后山景区）ThispartincludestheFourGreatRegions（四大部洲）,SuzhouShoppingStreet（苏州街）andTheGardenofHarmoniousInterest（谐趣园）.EmperorQianlongmadeseveralinspectiontourstoSouthChinaduringhislifetime,andhewastotallyimpressedbythebeautifulsceneries,commercialprosperityofshoppingstreetsandgardensthere.So