The Summer Palace isn't exactly a thrilling destination, and in fact large sections of it could be considered boring, but ultimately it's a nice way to spend a hot afternoon.

The best part was the walk around the lake; the longest covered walkway goes alongside. The walkway itself is remarkably ornate, and each roofbeam has been individually painted with a scene from Chinese legends and/or history. I was told that some Chinese couples take their child here to teach them their history, explaining a few roofbeams at a time over the span of months.

I have no reason to disbelieve that, and as I saw quite a number of families, the story is pretty convincing.

From my perspective, the walkway was the ENTIRE reason to visit the Summer Palace, and it's for that reason that I recommend the site. The lake itself isn't exactly thrilling, but it's reasonably picturesque, and the cool breezes were nice in the summer. I spent most of my time staring up at the walkway ceilings, however.

If you start at the front end of the covered walkway and walk all the way to the "marble yacht" (a boat-shaped building), you can take a boat ride back to your start. Since the walkway is (as I recall) over a kilometer long, I'd recommend the boat ride.

Basically, if you're in Beijing, go for it -- it's a nice afternoon. In fact, if you went to see the Forbidden City in the morning, you could see the Summer Palace in the afternoon and have a nice day trip.



Recommended: Yes