The Long Corridor is a covered walkway beside Kunming Lake at Beijing’s Summer Palace. Built in 1750, it runs for 728 metres and is painted with more than 14,000 scenes from Chinese stories, history and landscapes. Look up at the artwork on the beams and panels, then pause at the four octagonal pavilions, each linked to a season. The open sides bring views of the lake and Longevity Hill, while the roof offers shade as you walk through the palace grounds.
A covered route beside Kunming Lake
The Long Corridor runs along the northern shore of Kunming Lake within Beijing’s Summer Palace. At 728 metres, it connects parts of the grounds beneath a roof, with open sides that leave the lake and Longevity Hill in view.
The walkway was built in 1750 to shelter people moving around the palace from rain, cold and summer heat. It has 273 sections. At its eastern end is Yaoyue Men; the route leads west toward Shizhang Ting and the Cloud Dispelling Gate, which gives access to the Hall of Dispelling Clouds.
Paintings on the beams and panels
More than 14,000 paintings cover the corridor’s beams and panels. Their subjects include Chinese classical literature, folk tales, historical and legendary figures, buildings, landscapes and flowers. The vivid decoration turns the length of the walkway into a series of scenes to study as you go.
Four octagonal pavilions interrupt the route. They represent the four seasons and have more elaborate decoration; take a moment to look at the ceilings as well as the painted panels. The eight major paintings in the pavilions are another detail to seek out.
Damage and restoration
The wooden walkway was badly damaged in 1860 during the Second Opium War. It was restored in 1886 by order of Empress Dowager Cixi.
Crowds can make it harder to stop and take in the artwork, and renovation work has closed sections at times. A weekday visit can be quieter, though access to the entire length is not guaranteed if work is underway.
Preguntas frecuentes
How long is the Long Corridor?
It is 728 metres long and divided into 273 sections.
What can you see in the Long Corridor?
Its beams and panels carry more than 14,000 paintings of Chinese stories, history, figures, buildings, landscapes and flowers. Four octagonal pavilions represent the seasons.
Where is the Long Corridor?
It is in Beijing’s Summer Palace, along the northern shore of Kunming Lake.
When was the Long Corridor built?
It was built in 1750 and restored in 1886 after damage in 1860.
