Summer Palace – 2019 Software Engineering International Students visit the Summer Palace

The School of Software Engineering from Beijing Jiaotong University has recently organized a visit for 57 of its international students to the Summer Palace, accompanied by their international student counsellor Sun Jiaqi. In their Chinese Culture course, teach by Miss Sun, students have been able to experiment the Chinese History and conception of Chinese Gardening Designs. With the social practice class, they have the opportunities to see in real places what they learnt. Nothing better to understand Chinese gardens than visit the Summer Palace.

The Summer Palace (颐和园) was the royal retreat for emperors of the Qing dynasty, fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the old imperial city. Situated in the Haidian District, northwest of Beijing, and also known as the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China, it greatly influences Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests, which also has long been recognized as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'.

The Summer Palace radiates fully the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. It can be divided into four parts: The Court Area, Front and Rear Area of Longevity Hill, and Kunming Lake Area. It owns over 3,000 man-made ancient structures, including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc. With all these different parts, students had the opportunity to see the different types of designs used for the gardens. From borrowed to add scenery, going through hidden, all the parts of the garden have their own aspect and atmosphere.

During the visit, students had the chance to have some free time visit. An opportunity for them to discover the immensity of the place and all the sceneries that offer the Summer Palace, with its world-famous spots.

The overall designer of Summer Palace is Qianlong emperor, in Qing dynasty. He put a lot of gardening characters and elements from southern China. This place is a perfect combination of northern and southern China that included every gardening features. It is not only a beautiful historical spot, but also a cultural essence of China’s traditional architecture.

At the end of the day, students gathered at the main entrance for leaving the Summer Palace. A beautiful trip ended. Most of the student now want to go back on their own to enjoy again this unique place. It's a significant moment to discover Chinese art of gardening, design and architecture.

Written by Arnaud JABIOL and Nathan SZWEC

         Photos from Lena CHEAM, Clara AUGIE and Nathan SZWEC, Teacher Sun Jiaqi

    Checked by Teacher Sun Jiaqi