Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
圆明园 · Yuánmíngyuán
The ruins of a vast Qing imperial garden, burned in 1860, with the stone remains of its European-style palaces among lakes and parkland.
No booking neededBring your passport2–3 hours
Tip
The European-style palace ruins are in the far north-east, about 30 minutes’ walk from the South Gate. The Summer Palace is one metro stop away, so you can combine both in a day.
- Opening hours
- Apr–Oct 07:00–21:00 (tickets sold until 19:00); Nov–Mar 07:00–19:30 (tickets until 17:30). Ticketed areas inside close earlier than the park.
- Price
- Entry ¥10. Full ticket ¥25, including the European-style palace ruins (Xiyanglou) and the model exhibition.
- How to book
- No booking needed; buy tickets at the gate with your passport.
- Getting there
- Yuanmingyuan Park (Line 4), next to the South Gate
- Address in Chinese
- 北京市海淀区清华西路28号
Photo: 一懒众山小 · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-27. Rules change often, so confirm on the official site before you go.
Not yet confirmed by an official source: passport
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