The Old Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, is a vast park of lakes and ruins in northwest Beijing, once the Qing emperors’ great garden palace, looted and burned in 1860. As of November 2026 entry is CNY 10 (about US$1.50), the through ticket that adds the European Palaces ruins is CNY 25, and visitors 60 and over enter free.
- Tickets: CNY 10 entrance; CNY 25 through ticket with the European Palaces ruins (as of November 2026)
- Free entry: seniors 60+ with proof of age; under-18s with valid ID
- Ticket sales: November–March 7:00–17:30; April–October 7:00–19:00
- Booking: tickets can be bought on site; the Zhengjue Temple gate sells online only
- Getting there: Metro Line 4, Yuanmingyuan Park station
Ruins, lakes and the European Palaces
At Yuanmingyuan you walk among ruins. Broken marble columns rise out of the grass, carved shells and scrolls lie where they fell, and wide lakes reflect willows and stone bridges. On a still morning you hear ducks on the water and little else.
The most striking corner is the European Palaces area (Xiyanglou), where Qing emperors built palaces and fountains in a European Baroque style, designed with the help of Jesuit missionaries at court. Today you walk among the remains: the great stone arches of the Dashuifa fountain, toppled pillars carved with Western-style ornament, and a restored maze with a small pavilion at its center. Children usually make straight for the maze.
On 27 October 2026 Beijing’s official tourism portal named Yuanmingyuan among the city’s best places for golden ginkgo leaves, a window that runs from late October into early November.
A short history
Yuanmingyuan was made up of three gardens, Yuanmingyuan, Changchun and Qichun, covering about 352 hectares. Work began in 1707, and over the following reigns the emperors filled it with halls, libraries, lakes and gardens, and spent long stretches of each year living and ruling here rather than in the Forbidden City.
In 1860, during the Second Opium War, British and French troops looted the palaces and set them on fire. The gardens were destroyed again in 1900. What you see today is a heritage park built around those ruins, with the lakes and hills restored and the stone remains left in place.
One object has come home. The bronze horse head, one of the zodiac fountain heads looted in 1860, is now displayed at Zhengjue Temple inside the park. Because of that exhibition, the Zhengjue Temple gate sells tickets online only.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Tickets and free entry (as of November 2026)
| Ticket | Price | Half price |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | CNY 10 (about US$1.50) | CNY 5 |
| Through ticket | CNY 25 (about US$4) | CNY 10 |
| European Palaces only | CNY 15 (about US$2) | – |
| Panoramic Model Exhibition | CNY 10 (about US$1.50) | – |
The through ticket covers the park entrance, the European Palaces ruins area (the Dashuifa fountain ruins, the maze and the exhibition hall) and the Panoramic Model Exhibition, a scale model that shows how the gardens looked before 1860. It is the ticket we recommend.
- Free for seniors: visitors 60 and over enter free with a valid certificate or proof of age, so bring your passport.
- Free for young people: under-18s with valid ID.
- Free days: Cultural Heritage Day (the second Saturday of June), National Defense Day (the third Saturday of September) and 18 October.
- Students: the student discount is for bachelor level and below, and foreign student cards are not accepted.
Tickets can be bought on site, and the park also sells them through its official WeChat account, “圆明园遗址公园”. Full rules are on the park’s official website.
Hours, gates and pairing with the Summer Palace
Hours and timing
From November to March, tickets are sold 7:00–17:30; from April to October, 7:00–19:00. The inner scenic areas, including the European Palaces, keep shorter hours than the park, so plan the ruins for the morning or early afternoon. Come early, when the light is soft on the marble.
Gates and getting there
The park is big, so the gate you choose matters. The ticket gates are the Qichunyuan Palace Gate, the Changchunyuan East Gate, the Second Palace Gate and the Zaoyuan Gate. The European Palaces ruins lie in the Changchun garden, a short walk from the Changchunyuan East Gate. By metro, take Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Park station; travelers report it is by the Qichunyuan Palace Gate on the south side, a long walk from the ruins, so many enter by the east gate and leave by the south. On a private tour your driver drops you at the gate that suits your route and collects you at the other end, which saves a long walk back.
Walking and pace
Paths are mostly flat, with some bridges and gentle slopes. For grandparents, a focused visit to the European Palaces and the model exhibition works well; keen walkers can loop around the lakes as well. Travelers also report paid sightseeing carts inside the park that save the long walks between areas. Bring water, sun protection in summer and warm layers in winter, as much of the park is open ground.
Pairing it with the Summer Palace
The Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace are neighbors in northwest Beijing, and both are served by Line 4. Both gardens were wrecked in 1860; the Summer Palace was rebuilt and given its present name in 1886, while Yuanmingyuan was left as ruins. Start at Yuanmingyuan in the morning, then continue to the Summer Palace after lunch.
Inside the park, only accredited tour guides may lead groups.
Visiting on a private tour
Yuanmingyuan works well as an addition to our Beijing classic day tour, which already includes the Summer Palace, or as an add-on to a longer plan such as the 4-day private Beijing tour. You travel in a private car or van with a driver, just your group, with an English-speaking guide. There are no shopping stops, and you can slow down, sit by the lake or skip a section whenever you like. For more ideas, see things to do in Beijing.
Tell us your dates, group size and what you would like to see. We reply with a day-by-day plan and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Old Summer Palace ticket?
As of November 2026 the entrance ticket is CNY 10 and the through ticket is CNY 25. The through ticket adds the European Palaces ruins area, with the Dashuifa fountain ruins, the maze and the exhibition hall, plus the Panoramic Model Exhibition.
Is the Old Summer Palace free for seniors?
Yes. Visitors aged 60 and over enter free with a valid certificate or proof of age, so bring your passport. Under-18s with valid ID also enter free, and everyone enters free on Cultural Heritage Day, National Defense Day and 18 October.
Do I need to book the Old Summer Palace in advance?
Tickets can be bought on site, and the park also sells them through its official WeChat account. The exception is the Zhengjue Temple gate, which sells tickets online only because of the bronze horse-head exhibition there.
What happened to the Old Summer Palace?
Yuanmingyuan was a group of three imperial gardens begun in 1707. In 1860 British and French troops looted and burned it, and it was destroyed again in 1900. Today it is a heritage park built around the surviving ruins and restored lakes.
What is the difference between the Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace?
The Old Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan, is a park of lakes and ruins. The Summer Palace, Yiheyuan, is the nearby lakeside palace with intact halls, the Long Corridor and Kunming Lake. They are neighbors in northwest Beijing and are easy to see on the same day.
How do I get to the Old Summer Palace?
Take Metro Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Park station. The ticket gates are the Qichunyuan Palace Gate, Changchunyuan East Gate, Second Palace Gate and Zaoyuan Gate. The European Palaces ruins lie in the Changchun garden, closest to the Changchunyuan East Gate; travelers report the metro station is by the Qichunyuan Palace Gate on the south side, a long walk away.
When is the best time to visit the Old Summer Palace?
Mornings are quiet and the light is soft on the marble ruins. Late October to early November is golden ginkgo season; in 2026 Beijing's tourism portal named Yuanmingyuan among the city's best ginkgo spots. Tickets are sold from 7:00 all year.
Facts checked: 5 November 2026. Ticket prices, opening hours and entry rules can change; we re-check before every booking.