Kunming Lake

　　Kunming Lake is located within the Summer Palace in Beijing and covers about three-quarters of the total area. It was originally a natural lake formed by the convergence of springs in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing, and was once known by names such as Qili Lake and Dabo Lake. The predecessor of Kunming Lake was called Wengshan Pool, named after the nearby Wengshan Mountain, the former name of Longevity Hill. Wengshan Pool was also referred to as West Lake because it was situated in the western suburbs of Beijing.

　　After the Yuan Dynasty established its capital in Beijing, in the 29th year of the Zhiyuan era (1292 AD), the hydraulic engineer Guo Shoujing oversaw the excavation of the Tonghui Canal, diverting water from the Shen Mountain springs in Changping and other streams along the way, including those from the Western Hills, into the lake. This made it a reservoir that supplied water for the city’s canal transport. Wengshan Pool thus became a water storage reservoir for regulating the capital’s water supply.

　　By the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong decided to build the Qingyi Garden in the area around Wengshan and expanded the lake to its current size. He named it Kunming Lake, inspired by Emperor Wu of Han’s construction of Kunming Pool in Chang’an for naval drills. In one of his poems describing boating on Kunming Lake, Qianlong wrote, “Where in the Yan Mountains stirs the greatest delight? Unparalleled charm belongs alone to Kunming.” In 1860, Qingyi Garden was burned down by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi reconstructed it using over five million taels of silver under the pretext of raising funds for the navy, renamed it the Summer Palace, and turned it into a summer retreat and residence for the elderly.

　　In the 1990s, multidisciplinary research confirmed that the lake has a history of 3,500 years.

　　The Summer Palace is the largest and most magnificent classical garden existing in China today. It mainly consists of Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. The Summer Palace is located 10 kilometers northwest of Beijing, with Kunming Lake situated at the southern foot of Longevity Hill. Longevity Hill is an extension of the Western Hills, stretching eastward with a relative height of over 60 meters, forming a shape that embraces the lake. To the west of the lake rise the peaks of the Western Hills. To the southeast lies the Beijing Plain, placing the lake in the transitional zone between the alluvial fan at the base of the Western Hills and the alluvial plain.

　　The lake primarily extends from east to west. Part of the original lakeshore land was intentionally included within the lake, forming the West Dam and the three islands within. Earth excavated during this process was used to expand Longevity Hill, significantly increasing the elevation of this originally modest hill. Around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill, the gardens built during that time—including the Qingyi Garden on Longevity Hill and the Jingming Garden on Jade Spring Hill, the Jingyi Garden on Fragrant Hill, as well as the Changchun Garden and the Yuanming Garden—were all large-scale imperial gardens constructed with the Western Hills as a scenic backdrop, collectively known as the "Three Hills and Five Gardens." After many vicissitudes, by the time of liberation, these ancient gardens had fallen into decline. After liberation, extensive restoration work was carried out, and Kunming Lake was dredged, giving it a completely renewed appearance.

　　Due to the area’s beautiful scenery and excellent landscape, poets during the Ming Dynasty often described the natural beauty around West Lake as resembling “the scenery of the Jiangnan region” or as the “most splendid view of the entire district.”

　　One of the design features of Kunming Lake is its West Dam and the bridges on the dam. The West Dam of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace was originally a narrow embankment with little practical function. It was artificially segmented, and six bridges—known as the “Six Bridges of the West Dam”—were built upon it, creating the charming scene of “willows in mist over six bridges,” which rivals the Su Causeway of Hangzhou’s West Lake. The most beautiful of the six bridges is the Jade Belt Bridge. To the south of Kunming Lake lies a small island intentionally preserved during the garden’s construction, connected to the eastern shore of the lake by the Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Following the traditional imperial garden design principle of “one pond, three hills,” three central islands were created within the lake: South Lake Island, Mirror Governance Pavilion Island, and Algae Mirror Hall Island. The West Dam was also modeled after the Su Causeway of Hangzhou’s West Lake. The shimmering lake water, winding dams, scattered islands, and various architectural structures partially hidden in the lakeside scenery together form the water-themed breathtaking landscape of the Summer Palace. Kunming Lake ingeniously employs the Chinese garden art technique of “borrowed scenery,” incorporating the distant views of the Western Hills and the Jade Spring Hill ranges into the visitor’s line of sight. The shimmering lake and surrounding mountain peaks complement each other, creating an incomparably beautiful scene. Major attractions on Kunming Lake include the West Dam and its Six Bridges, the East Dam, South Lake Island, and the Seventeen-Arch Bridge.

　　Six stone bridges are built along the dam, each exquisitely designed and uniquely shaped. Among them, the Jade Belt Bridge, carved from white marble, features lofty arches that resemble a jade belt when viewed from afar. Each of the three sections of the lake area contains an island, symbolizing the Three Penglai Islands. Among them, South Lake Island boasts the most beautiful scenery, covering an area of over 16 acres. The island houses historic structures such as the Hanxu Hall and the Dragon Jade Temple. It is said that the architecture of Hanxu Hall resembles that of the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, originally having three stories. During the Qing Dynasty, emperors and empresses would watch naval drills from the upper floors. From the higher vantage points on the island, the panoramic views of the lake and mountains are breathtaking.