East Palace Gate
The East Palace Gate (Donggongmen) of the Summer Palace is the main entrance, marking the starting point for most visitors. It was first built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1886, retaining its original design.
A carpenter taught Emperor Guangxu to write the Summer Palace plaque.
Life on Duty beside the East Palace Gate
The East Palace Gate of the Summer Palace serves as a main entrance with ticketing services. Visitors can enter with passports (pre-purchased tickets) or buy tickets on-site.
Service halls on both sides offer travel consultations, manual tour guides, electronic audio guides (CNY40/day, available in multiple languages), mother-and-baby rooms, rest areas, free drinking water, vending machines, and rentals for strollers, wheelchairs (free with a CNY500 deposit), and portable battery chargers.
What to See: East Palace Gate Complex
The East Palace Gate, together with the archway, square, river, screen wall, and antechambers, constitutes the East Palace Gate complex. Stretching along a rigorous central axis from east to west, the complex presents visitors the structures orderly as follow:
"Embracing the Boundless" Archway
This wooden 5.8-meter-tall (19 feet) archway named "Embracing the Boundless", featuring three gates and four pillars, is the west tip of the East Palace Gate complex.
The east side bears the inscription "Embracing the Boundless", pointing the boundless Kunming Lake, while the west side reads "Veiling the Beauty", hinting at concealed Longevity Hill beauty. As you approach, though not entering the Summer Place yet, its picturesque landscape comes into view, framed perfectly by the archway's beams and pillars, as if this archway serves as the "prelude" to the garden's beauty.
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| East Palace Gate |
Square, River, & Screen Wall
Beyond the archway lies a spacious square, stretching 120 meters (393 feet) wide and 150 meters (492 feet) deep. To the west, the Crescent Moon River (Yueyahe) winds in a curved line, spanned by two single-arch white stone bridges running north to south.
The red brick screen wall, 3.24 meters (10 feet) long and 1.74 meters (5 feet) wide, stands on the opposite side of the river. It is a relic from the Summer Palace's original construction, serving as an element of mystery by partially obscuring the view.
East Palace Gate
Facing east, the East Palace Gate features a gabled and hipped roof with grey tiles, small animal statues on the eaves corners, and a large gold-lettered horizontal signboard hanging in the east under the eaves with the inscription "Summer Palace" ( 颐和园 in Chinese).
There are three doorways, each with six vermilion door leaves adorned with nine gilded round nails arranged in a grid pattern. Stone steps lead to the doorways, centered by a white marble carving of two dragons playing with a pearl, originally from the Old Summer Palace and moved here for preservation in 1937.
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In front of the gate are a pair of bronze lions perched high on carved white marble pedestals. The male lion stands with dignity and fierceness, its left paw raised and right paw grasping a bronze ball, while the female lion exudes kindness and affability, caressing a small lion lying under her left foot.
The two wings to the north and south of the East Palace Gate house a total of four buildings with 20 rooms, which served as waiting and duty rooms for ministers and guards. Currently, they house the ticket office and reception room of the Summer Palace.
A carpenter taught Emperor Guangxu to write the Summer Palace plaque. |
| A Close View of the Gate |
It's said that when Emperor Guangxu (1871~1908) first inscribed "Summer Palace" in Chinese, his handwriting was crooked, displeasing Empress Dowager Cixi (1835~1908). She ordered the plaque removed immediately. Ministers then suggested a skilled carpenter skilled in calligraphy to tutor him.
Under the carpenter's guidance, Emperor Guangxu practiced diligently in the Hall of Jade Ripples for weeks, mastering penmanship. When he finally inscribed the words with strength and depth, earning ministers' applause. Satisfied, Cixi had the plaque framed with nine golden dragons. Today, visitors can still see "Seal of Emperor Guangxu's Calligraphy" and "Seal for Empress Dowager Cixi's Inspection" on it.
Life on Duty beside the East Palace GateServing duty in the antechambers is tough. Early in the morning, before it's even light, the minister on duty has to get there to get the documents ready. Without any cooling or heating equipment, they usually had to bear stuffiness in summer and frostiness in winter.
Who could enter the East Palace Gate?
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| Visitors in Front of the Gate |
Nowadays, anyone can enter the East Palace Gate after ticket checking. However, the middle doorway used to be reserved for the emperor, empress, and empress dowager, while the side doorways were used by princes, ministers, and foreign envoys.
Especially, during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi from 1861 to 1908, only she, Emperor Guangxu, and his empress could enter and exit the East Palace Gate. At that time, the gate was heavily guarded, with cavalry patrolling and wooden barriers and fences set up to prevent common people from approaching, even from hundreds of meters away.
What is the East Palace Gate used for today?
The East Palace Gate of the Summer Palace serves as a main entrance with ticketing services. Visitors can enter with passports (pre-purchased tickets) or buy tickets on-site.
Service halls on both sides offer travel consultations, manual tour guides, electronic audio guides (CNY40/day, available in multiple languages), mother-and-baby rooms, rest areas, free drinking water, vending machines, and rentals for strollers, wheelchairs (free with a CNY500 deposit), and portable battery chargers.
East Palace Gate Travel Tips
1. Opening Hours of the East Palace Gate
| April to October | November to March |
| 6:00~19:00 | 6:30~18:00 |
2. Getting There
To get to the East Palace Gate, visitor can take subway line 4 or 16 to Xiyuan Station, exit from C2, and walk west for about 10 minutes.
Or, you can take bus line 303, 332, 346, or 584 to Summer Palace Station (Yi He Yuan, 颐和园), and walk west for 3 minutes.
Also, visitors can take a taxi or hail a car online to the East Palace Gate, usually pricing CNY 50~80 from the downtown area and costing 55 to 65 minutes.
3. Dining Options Near the East Palace Gate
Just a 10-minute walk east, near the Xiyuan Subway Station, you'll find a food street with a variety of dining options. From dumplings and noodles to Western cuisine and afternoon tea, prices start at CNY20 per person.
4. Luggage Storage
There is no luggage storage service officially provided by the East Palace Gate. Visitors can store their luggage at nearby shops within 100~200 meters (109~219 yards), starting at CNY 20/day, or use self-service lockers, priced at CNY3~5/hour) and located about 150 meters (164 yards)/3-minute-walk northwest of Exit C2 of Xiyuan Subway Station, beside the Mu Wu Shao Kao (木屋烧烤) Restaurant.
Related Link: - Last updated on Aug. 07, 2025 by Jally Zhang -