Museum celebrates milestone for Summer Palace

Beijing's historic Summer Palace, built in the Qing Dynasty over 200 years ago, and it was once a resort for the royal family.

Beijing's historic Summer Palace, built in the Qing Dynasty over 200 years ago, and it was once a resort for the royal family. It first opened to the public in 1914, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of that occasion. 

Hailed as the "Museum of Royal Gardens", the Summer Palace has greatly influenced Chinese horticulture and landscaping since it first opened to the public.

The Summer Palace has received some 500 million visitors over the past century. This special exhibition brings together historical records, an array of tools, uniforms and badges, as well as tickets from various historic periods. Many of these items have never been displayed before.

"The Summer Palace was the first former royal park that opened to the public in China. We've collected and sorted out more than 400 items for the exhibition. And many of them are records of the Palace management in the old days. They're still very valuable." said Summer Palace assistant director Qin Lei.

Construction of the Summer Palace began in 1750, and it eventually served as a luxurious garden for royal families to rest and entertain during China's Qing Dynasty. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.