Old Summer Palace

Also known as the Ruins of the Yuanmingyuan, the Beijing Old Summer Palace was built during the Qing Dynasty under the reign of Emperor Kangxi. Unique with other gardens in China, the Old Summer Palace was built with a mix of western architecture and traditional Chinese scenery. The most famous spots in the palace include the Labyrinth, the Grand Waterworks and the Throne which can be used to see the other two spots. In the past, Yuanmingyuan had a great number of books, artifacts and relics, unfortunately, they were plundered by the English and French forces in 1860. These items are now scattered around the globe in foreign museums. Further damage to the site was done in the 1980s. Today, it is part of the local government's protected areas. Reconstruction of some of the original spots is already underway.