Summer Palace: Amazing as usual in winter

The 17 Arches Bridge, or Shiqikong Qiao in Chinese, offers an amazing sight when the sun sinks. The bridge's arched openings are filled with shades of red and gold as the rays of fading light shine over the bridge. [Photo/VCG]

The Summer Palace, one of the finest examples of garden architecture in China, is in the northwest suburbs of Beijing.

More than 100 examples of traditional architectural features are to be found in the park, including pavilions, terraces, temples, pagodas, waterside gazebos, covered corridors, stone bridges and the famous marble boat.

In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List. It declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value".