The Summer Palace, Houhai Lake and Beijing’s hutongs (afternoon)

This excursion takes you to the famous Summer Palace, the scenic Lake Hou Hai and Beijing’s must-see hutong, Nanluoguxiang.

The guide picks you up from the hotel, and together you travel by public transport to the first visit of the excursion, the Summer Palace, located by Kunming Lake in north-west Beijing.

In 1750, the imperial family decided to build a summer residence where they could escape the summer heat in central Beijing and find peace and quiet in scenic surroundings. They hired the most talented architects, engineers, craftsmen and artists from all over China. Artists reproduced landscape architecture from various parts of China, and the existing lake, Kunming, was expanded and shaped like West Lake in Hangzhou.

The tour starts at the eastern entrance, where you see the palaces. A stroll then awaits in “The Long Corridor”, which Emperor Qianlong built for his mother, so she could enjoy the view of Kunming Lake when it was raining or in the winter. 728 metres long, the corridor is embellished with 14,000 colourful paintings. From one end to the other, you walk through four octagonal pavilions representing the four seasons.

From the corridor, you can look out over Kunming Lake and the small island, Nanhu, where the Dragon Temple and Wangyan Pavilion are located. The island is connected to the shore by the beautiful 17-Arch Bridge. Of course, there are 17 arches for a reason. The 9th arch, which is in the middle, symbolises the empire, and the eight arcs on either side of the 9th arch symbolise happiness and prosperity.

At the end of the corridor, you will see the iconic 36-metre-long marble boat, with one end joined to the shore.

From the Summer Palace, the tour continues to Beijing’s scenic Lake, Hou Hai, which is surrounded by willow trees and traditional buildings. Hou Hai is one of three lakes, collectively known as Shichahai. It’s a wonderful area enveloped in peace and serenity, in stark contrast to the otherwise bustling city. You will see small courtyard houses, and it is also one of the city’s “in-places” with cafés, bars and small shops selling clothes and crafts.

The tour is rounded off in one of Beijing’s iconic, old hutong streets, Nanluoguxiang. The 768-metre-long street buzzes with everyday life, history and culture. A hutong is a narrow street with low buildings and a history dating back hundreds of years. Beijing’s hutongs stand in great contrast to the modern city life found just around the corner, and nowhere is the contrast to the wide boulevards and tall skyscrapers greater.

You then head back to the hotel by public transport.

This excursion is open to TourCompass’ own guests only.

We recommend that you book the excursion from home, either when booking the tour or at least 3 weeks before departure. The excursion can also be booked by the guide at the destination, subject to availability.