Overview
The Qianlong Emperor built the garden between 1750 and 1764 as the Garden of Clear Ripples, marking his mother’s birthday. Kunming Lake, which covers about three quarters of the grounds, was enlarged with West Lake in Hangzhou as its model, and Longevity Hill rises behind it.
Description
Along the lakeshore runs the Long Corridor, a covered walkway 728 metres long decorated with thousands of painted scenes. Other landmarks include the Tower of Buddhist Incense on Longevity Hill, the Marble Boat and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.
History and legacy
Anglo-French forces burned the garden in 1860 during the Second Opium War. It was rebuilt from 1886 to 1888 under Empress Dowager Cixi — with funds that historians widely state were diverted from the navy — and renamed Yihe Yuan, and in 1998 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.