Stock photography, photos: Sumer Palace - Beijing, China Stock photos of Pavilion near Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. The initial construction of the Summer Palace began in 1750, commissioned by Emperor Qinglong as a gift for his mother's birthday. The construction took 15 years to complete. It had the name Qingyi Yuan (Garden of Clear Ripples) at that time. The plundering of foreign troops in 1860 destroyed most of the buildings, but were renovated in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi. During the late Qing Dynasty it was the summer retreat from Beijing's heat for the imperial family and court. Photograph: © Robert Burch Click for a larger image and more information Keywords associated with this stock photo: china, asia, Beijing, summer palace, lake