TheSummerPalace,dominatedmainlybyLongevityHillandKunmingLake,coversanareaof2.9squarekilometers,threequartersofwhichisunderwater.Its70,000squaremetersofbuildingspacefeaturesavarietyofpalaces,gardensandotherancient-stylearchitecturalstructures.Wellknownforitslargeandpricelesscollectionofculturalrelics,itwasamongthefirstgroupofhistoricalandculturalheritagesitesinChinatobeplacedunderspecialstateprotection.
TheSummerPalace,originallynamedQingyiYuanortheGardenofClearRipples,wasfirstconstructedin1750.ItwasrazedtothegroundbytheAnglo-FrenchAlliedForcesin1860.TheGovernmentoftheQingDynastystartedtorebuilditin1886withfundsthatithadmisappropriatedfromtheImperialNavyandothersources.RenamedtwoyearslaterasYiheYuanortheGardenofHealthandHarmony,itwassupposedtoserveasasummerresortfortheEmpressDowagerCixi.KnownalsoastheSummerPalace,itwasravagedbytheAlliedForcesoftheEightPowersthatinvadedChinain1900.Thedamagewasrepairedin1902.SincethefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,theSummerPalacehasundergoneseveralmajorrenovations.ItsmajorattractionssuchastheFourGreatRegions,SuzhouStreet,thePavilionofBrightScenery,theHallofSerenity,theWenchangGalleriesandthePlowingandWeavingSceneryAreahavebeensuccessivelyrestored.
TheSummerPalaceisamonumenttoclassicalChinesearchitecture,intermsofbothgardendesignandconstruction.Borrowingscenesfromsurroundinglandscapes,itradiatesnotonlythegrandeurofanimperialgardenbutalsothebeautyofnatureinaseamlesscombinationthatbestillustratestheguidingprincipleoftraditionalChinesegardendesign:“TheworksofmenshouldmatchtheworksofHeaven”.InDecember1998,UNESCOincludedtheSummerPalaceonitsWorldHeritageListwiththefollowingcomments:1)TheSummerPalaceinBeijingisanoutstandingexpressionofthecreativeartofChineselandscapegardendesign,incorporatingtheworksofhumankindandnatureinaharmoniouswhole;2)TheSummerPalaceepitomizesthephilosophyandpracticeofChinesegardendesign,whichplayedakeyroleinthedevelopmentofthisculturalformthroughouttheeast;3)TheimperialChinesegarden,illustratedbytheSummerPalace,isapotentsymbolofoneofthemajorworldcivilizations.
颐和园主景区由万寿山、昆明湖组成，全园占地2.9平方公里，水面约占四分之三。园内现存各式宫殿、园林古建7万平方米，并以珍贵的文物藏品闻名于世，是第一批全国重点文物保护单位。
颐和园前身为清漪园，始建于清朝乾隆十五年(1750)，咸丰十年(1860)被英法联军烧毁。光绪十二年(1886)，清廷挪用海军经费等款项开始重建，并于两年后取用今名，作为慈禧太后的颐养之所。一九零零年又遭八国联军破坏，一九零二年修复。中华人民共和国成立后，几经修缮，颐和园陆续复建了四大部洲、苏州街、景明楼、澹宁堂、文昌院、耕织图等重要景区。
颐和园集传统造园艺术之大成，借景周围的山水环境，既有皇家园林恢弘富丽的气势，又充满了自然之趣，高度体现了中国园林“虽由人作，宛自天开”的造园准则。一九九八年十二月，颐和园被联合国教科文组织列入《世界遗产名录》，并予以如下评价：1)北京的颐和园是对中国风景园林造园艺术的一种杰出的展现，将人造景观与大自然和谐地融为一体;2)颐和园是中国的造园思想和实践的集中体现，而这种思想和实践对整个东方园林艺术文化形式的发展起了关键性的作用;3)以颐和园为代表的中国皇家园林是世界几大文明之一的有力象征。
NaturalFeatures
自然概况
TheSummerPalacewasdesignatedaWorldHeritagesitebyUNESCOin1998.1998年，颐和园被联合国教科义组织列人《世界遗产名录》。
SpecialMention
特别提醒
Thepalaceisthelargestandthebest-preservedroyalgardenintheworldwiththerichestculturalconnotation,henceitishonoredasathemuseumofroyalgardens.Itsgenerallayoutmakesfulluseofthehillandthelake，togetherwiththeborrowedviewsfromthepeaksofthewestmountain，whichbringsaboutinfinitesceneryvariationswithexceedingbeauty.ThebuildingsinthepalacearethearchitecturalcreamfromallpartsofChina.TheadministrativeandresidentialareasintheeastofthepalacearetypicalofthequadrangleinnorthernChina，wheretheenclosedcourtyardsareconnectedbyvariousroofedcauseways.Thelakeareainitssouth，however，isanimitationofWestLakeofHangzhou，whereadykedividesthelakeintwo，thusgivingitanobvioustouchofsouthernChinalandscape.OnthenorthsideofLongevityHill，thesceneisthatofTibetanmasery，wherestandwhitepagodasandbuildingslikeblockhousesAndinnorth，theSuzhouMarketStreet，withallkindsofshopsanditscrisscrossingwatercourses，isagaininthestyleofthewaterscapeinsouthernChina.
颐和园是世界上建筑规模最大，保存最完整，文化内涵最丰富的皇家御苑，被誉为皇家园林博物馆。全园以山湖形式巧做安排，以西山群峰借景，使园内景色变幻无穷，美不胜收园内建筑吸收了中国各地建筑的精华。东部的宫殿区和内廷区，是典型的北方四合院风格。一个个封闭的院落山游廊连通;南部的湖泊区是仿杭州西湖景色，一道西堤把湖泊一分为二，具有一浓郁的江南情调;万寿山的北面，是典型的西藏喇嘛庙宇风格，有白塔及城堡式建筑，北部的苏州街，店铺林立，水道纵横，又是典型的江南水乡风格。