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Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) first built on this site, northeast of the Summer Palace near Kunming Lake, a residence for his mother. It was burnt down by the Anglo-French invaders in 1860. The present structure, the Hall of Joyous Longevity, which was the major construction of the residential area, was constructed in 1887 for the pleasure of Empress Dowager Cixi in summers. She had 48 attendants in the hall, and a retinue of over a thousand in the Summer Palace. The name "Leshou" came from the Analects of Confucius (551-479 B.C.): "persons with wisdom are joyous, with benevolence longevous", indicating that its occupants were wise and merciful.

You come across the well-decorated throne room in the main hall. Early foreign imports had their places side by side with native arts and crafts. In the main hall there set the throne, fans, desk, and glass screen. On both sides of the throne were two porcelain plates for holding fruits and setting off sweet smell, which was the representative of blue and white porcelains in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Four big copper incense burners engraved nine peaches served for burning sandalwoods and functioned to adjust the air in the room with fragrance. The screen, centered on the glass, was made of rosewood inlaid shell carving. On the ceiling of the hall hung a colorful pendant lamp imported from Germany in 1903, which was one of the earliest lamp used in China. While having dim sum and tea, Cixi could also appreciate the table called "fish table", beset glass face and framed with rosewood. Within the table, there were stencil-carved small pavilions and sceneries. The inner chamber in the east was the bedroom of Cixi, the western one the dressing room, and the back one the place where maid servants waited for order.

The front gate opens to the Kunming Lake, where boats were docked awaiting orders from the Empress.