The Imperial Summer Resort was the largest imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty. It covers an area of 5.64 million square meters, is twice as big as the Summer Palace in Beijing. The imperial theme of "collecting the world scene in one garden, moving the best beauty to one place" is represented in the garden, which combines the grace of South China with the grandeur of North China. The construction of Imperial Summer Resort was started in 1703; after 89 years, until the year 1792, its 124 groups of constructions had been finished in which there were 72 scenic sites named by the Emperor at that time. The whole construction area is about 100 thousand square meters.

The Imperial Summer Resort can be divided into the palace zone, the lake zone, the mountain zone and the plain zone. In the south it is the palace zone consisting of formal Palace, Pine & Crane House, East Palace and Million Valleys and Pines, four groups of structures. The palace zone has become the Royal Art Museum and the place for recovering historic legacy of the palace of the Qing Dynasty. In this zone there are the gray tiles and the plain bricks with the winding old pines and the thick crown of trees, in which you'll have a chance to feel the real nature, grace and primitive simplicity.

The lake zone has an area of about 500mu, divided into many small lakes by the islands and dykes such as Chenghu (Clear Lake), Ruyihu (Happy Lake), Yinhu (Silver Lake) and Jinghu (Mirror Lake).
On the surface of the lakes you can see Qingliandao (Green Lotus Island), Ruyizhou (Happy Island), Yuese Jiangsheng (Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonligh) and Huanbi (Green surrounded Island) and other is lands. On the lakes the branches of weeping willows hang downwards, and there are small green ripples on the lakes, with lotus swinging in the gentle breeze. It is really like the graceful scene in South China.

The plain zone is located on the north of the lake zone covering an area of 53 hectares, which mainly include Wanshuyuan (Ten Thousand Trees Garden), Shimali (Place of Trying Horses), Yongyou Temple (Permanent Blessing Temple) and Sheli Pagoda and other tourist sites. In the Qing Dynasty the Emperors usually held the head meeting in Ten Thousand Trees Garden, had dinner with fireworks, lights, music and dancing and singing. The Big Army Tent and Mongolia Box were built when there were large-scale activities. Now the Mongolia Box is rebuilt into the Village for Holiday.
 
The mountain zone covers n area of 4.22 million square meters. The highest peak is 510 meters high above the sea level, and it is 180 meters higher than the plain zone. Emperor Kangxi and Qianlong had ordered to build more than 40 buildings, pavilions, temples, and houses which had small tourist imperial paths and narrow winding tracks towards the hills. The mountains are winding mountains with deep ditches, gullies and valleys in all directions, thick forest and clear mountain brooks, which form different landscapes in four seasons. Now you can get to the top of the hills by cableway and look from the mountain at the great wonders on four sides of the mountain; Yunshan (Cloud Sea), Beizhenshuangfeng (Twin Peaks Facing North) and Nanshanjixue (Snow on the South Mountain).