Wanshou Mountain

The central hill of the great imperial summer garden in the northwest, rising above a broad lake and crowned by a tiered religious complex. Its slopes carry a sequence of gilded halls and pavilions climbing to a many-storied temple tower that surveys the whole garden and the plain beyond. Emperors climbed the terraces to enjoy the view and to worship, and the arrangement expresses ideas of longevity that give the hill its name. Reached by covered walkways and stone stairs, the summit offers a fine panorama over the waters.