The Old Summer Palace at a glance
The Old Summer Palace is the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park in Haidian District. It is a park of its own and not an older wing of the Summer Palace. It brings together three gardens: Yuanmingyuan, Changchunyuan and Qichunyuan. The park dates to 1707 and covers 352 hectares. The address is 28 Tsinghua West Road.
The two places are easy to mix up because the names are close. The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) is the lake and hill garden that is on the World Heritage list since 1998. The Old Summer Palace is a different site with a different ticket, different hours and a different feel: open grounds, ruins and water. Read the history of the Summer Palace for the story of the garden with the lake.
Old Summer Palace tickets and prices
Adult and reduced prices in CNY, 2026.
| Ticket | Adult | Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| Park ticket | CNY 10 | CNY 5 |
| Through ticket (park, ruins of the Western palaces, model exhibition) | CNY 25 | CNY 10 |
The reduced through ticket costs CNY 10. That is not half of CNY 25, so do not calculate it from the adult price. Bring the documents that prove your entitlement to a reduced fare, and ask at the ticket office how the rules apply to you. The park ticket and the through ticket here have nothing to do with the Summer Palace tickets. For those, see the Summer Palace ticket guide.
No reservation is needed. You buy at the park on the day. Once ticket sales have closed, nobody can enter any more.
Opening hours by season
Ticket sales close well before the park does.
| Season | Ticket sales | Park closes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April to 31 October | 07:00–19:00 | 21:00 |
| 1 November to 31 March | 07:00–17:30 | 19:30 |
These times are local Beijing time. Plan around the end of ticket sales, not the closing time. The Yuanmingyuan Museum in the Zhengjue Temple has its own times: 08:30–17:00, Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays except on public holidays. Museum entry is free, but you still need a park ticket. The Monday closure applies to the museum only, not to the whole park.
Our picks: Old Summer Palace
A private day trip and a two-park ticket with audio guides.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Private day trip to both Summer Palaces
A private vehicle with hotel transfer, a licensed English-speaking guide, entry to the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace, an Imperial Canal boat ticket and a Peking duck lunch. Drinks and insurance are extra.
Check availability →
Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace tickets with audio guides
A combined Summer Palace ticket, general entry to the Old Summer Palace and mobile audio guides for both parks. The Summer Palace museum is not included.
Check availability →Summer Palace and Old Summer Palace tours
Guided and private day trips that include the Summer Palace, some with the Old Summer Palace or other Beijing sights, with live prices and availability.
How to get to the Old Summer Palace
By Metro, on the same line as the Summer Palace.
Take Beijing Metro Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Park station and use exit B. On Line 4 the order is Beigongmen, then Xiyuan, then Yuanmingyuan. From Beigongmen it is two stations, from Xiyuan one station. The walk from the exit to the gates comes on top of that, so allow extra time.
This is the same line you use for two of the Summer Palace gates. The Summer Palace getting there guide covers gates, fares and train times in detail.
Combining it with the Summer Palace
Two sites, two tickets, one line.
Summer Palace first, ruins second
The paid areas of the Summer Palace close at 18:00 in summer and 17:00 in winter. The Old Summer Palace stays open until 21:00 or 19:30. Spend the day at the lake and finish at the ruins in the late light.
Mondays
The Summer Palace towers and inner gardens are closed on Mondays. The ruins park is open on Mondays, so it is a sensible choice for that day. Only its museum is closed.
Keep the tickets apart
A Summer Palace through ticket does not cover the Old Summer Palace, and the other way round. Buy each at its own park.
Allow time
The three gardens cover 352 hectares. Do not plan the ruins as a short stop at the end of a long Summer Palace day.
For the rest of Beijing, the Forbidden City has its own guide at forbidden-city.org.
Plan the rest of your trip
Pages that go with a visit to the ruins.
Old Summer Palace: frequently asked questions
Is the Old Summer Palace the same as the Summer Palace?
No. They are two separate parks in Haidian District with separate tickets and hours. The Old Summer Palace is the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park. The Summer Palace is Yiheyuan, the garden with Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill.
How much is the Old Summer Palace?
In 2026 the park ticket is CNY 10 for adults and CNY 5 reduced. The through ticket with the ruins of the Western palaces and the model exhibition is CNY 25 for adults and CNY 10 reduced.
Do I need to book in advance?
No. You buy tickets at the park. Check the end of ticket sales for your season, because nobody is admitted after it.
When is it open?
From 1 April to 31 October tickets are sold from 07:00 to 19:00 and the park closes at 21:00. From 1 November to 31 March sales run from 07:00 to 17:30 and the park closes at 19:30.
How do I get there by Metro?
Take Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Park station and leave by exit B. It is one station from Xiyuan and two from Beigongmen.
Is the museum open on Mondays?
No. The Yuanmingyuan Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 08:30 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays except on public holidays. The park itself is open.