Marble Boat Monument

Address: Summer Palace (Yiheyuan), 19 Xinjiangongmen Rd, Haidian District, Beijing, China

Website: http://www.summerpalace-china.com/

Hours: Summer Palace hours vary seasonally; typically Daily 6:30am-6:00pm (check official site)

Admission: Included with Summer Palace admission (varies)

The Marble Boat, also called the Boat of Purity and Ease, is a lakeside pavilion at the Summer Palace in Beijing, sitting on the northern shore of Kunming Lake. It is a decorative structure designed to look like a two-tiered boat resting on a stone base.

The original structure was built in the 18th century; the current pavilion dates from a late-19th-century reconstruction and features a stone platform topped by a multilevel wooden superstructure painted and decorated to resemble a boat. Though called the Marble Boat, much of the visible upper structure is timber rather than solid marble.

It functions as an architectural feature within the imperial garden complex rather than a working vessel and is a common stop on visitor routes through the Summer Palace grounds.

Located in the Haidian District of northwest Beijing, the Marble Boat is within the UNESCO-listed Summer Palace parkland and is accessible from the palace pathways along Kunming Lake.

• Location within Summer Palace: Sits on the northern shore of Kunming Lake within Beijing’s Summer Palace complex and is one of the palace’s most photographed features.
• Construction history: Original structure dates to 1755; the extant pavilion was rebuilt in 1893 during renovations associated with the late Qing court.

Located on the northwest shore of Kunming Lake within the Summer Palace in Haidian District. From central Beijing take Metro Line 4 to Beigongmen (North Palace Gate) station; it’s a short walk from there along the palace grounds.

• See the Marble Boat as part of a circuit of the Summer Palace - the lakeside walk gives the best vantage points.
• Visit late afternoon for slanted light on the lacquer and mirrors; mid-summer mornings are busy with tour buses.
• Note that the current structure is largely timber with stone cladding - look for the dates carved into the base: originally built 1755, rebuilt 1893 under Empress Dowager Cixi.