Shooting Equipment: iPhone 16 Pro.
Shooting Time: Come back after the park closes to capture the stunning sunset on a clear day.

The Summer Palace - Fish and Aquatic Plants Pavilion

The shooting location is at a distance from the scenery, so it's best to use a medium-telephoto or 2x lens to capture the scene. You can use the leaves as a foreground and vary your composition.
Equipment Settings: Lumix S5, lens 20-60mm.
Post-processing: Use Lightroom software.
Ticket Information: Off-season ticket is 25 CNY. A separate ticket for the Fragrant Buddha Pavilion is required, which costs 10 CNY and can be purchased on-site.
Opening Hours: Winter schedule 06:00-19:00.

The Summer Palace - Steps of the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion

Turn on the wide-angle mode on your phone to capture the full view of the Fragrance Pavilion from both sides of the entrance. 

Equipment settings: Fuji XT30 II, lens 18-55mm. 

Ticket price: 10 RMB. 

Shooting time: It's best to shoot when the sun is about to set. The soft light and the sunlight shining on the Fragrance Pavilion create a contrast between light and shadow, making the architecture more three-dimensional and vibrant.

Under the tree at the entrance of the Buddha Fragrance Pavilion in the Summer Palace.

Composition tip: Use the Bronze Ox as the foreground and the Fragrance Buddha Pavilion as the background, placing the pavilion and its terrace between the ox's horns. This setup is ideal for shooting during sunset. 

Equipment settings: Fuji XT30II, lens 18-55mm.

The Summer Palace - Bronze Ox and Buddha Fragrance Pavilion in the same frame

Using symmetrical composition, the pillars and beams on both sides can create visual leading lines, enhancing the sense of depth and capturing the ancient and solemn atmosphere of the corridor.
1. Equipment Settings: Fuji XT30II, lens 18-55mm.
2. Travel Tips:
① Opening Hours: The Summer Palace closes at 19:00.
② Best Shooting Time: 11:00 AM is the optimal time for shooting, as the sunlight falls perfectly on the corridor, enhancing the visual effect.
3. Dress Code Suggestions:
① Classic Chinese Style (to complement the corridor architecture)
• Women: Modified cheongsam (recommended patterns: blue and white porcelain / ink wash) + pearl earrings; paired with an embroidered clutch + low-heeled embroidered shoes (for comfortable walking).
• Men: Linen stand-collar shirt + black straight-leg pants; cloth shoes + folding fan (partially visible when tucked into the back waistband).
② Elegant Republican Era Style (to echo the historical ambiance)
• Women: Beige lace dress + nude high heels; bell hat + lace gloves (for a vintage aristocrat look).
• Men: Grey waistcoat + white shirt + watch chain; Oxford shoes + newsboy cap.

Summer Palace - Long Corridor

The photographer stands below the flowering tree, adopting a low-angle shot with the blue sky as the background. The blooming tree fills the frame, and a wide-angle lens is used to incorporate more of the sky and branches, enhancing the sense of openness in the image.

Travel Tips: The best viewing period is from mid-March to early April each year.

Summer Palace - West Gate Pear Blossoms

The model stands next to the dock, facing away from the sunset. The photographer shoots from a slightly lower angle, with the sunlight positioned above the model’s head or shoulders, creating a silhouette effect.
Additional tips: Good lighting enhances the vintage look, but poor lighting can make the overall image appear too dark. However, it’s still great for capturing sunset silhouettes.

Kunming Lake - By the Pier

1. Shooting Angle: The photographer should stand on one side of the train's direction of travel, using an eye-level angle.
2. Composition Technique: Employ a central composition, placing the train in the center of the frame to make it the focal point. Combine this with leading lines, using the tracks that stretch from the foreground to the distance to guide the viewer's eye to the train.
3. Lens Usage: Use a wide-angle lens to capture a broad field of view, highlighting the vastness of the scene and emphasizing the train in the center.
Recommended Shooting Time: Daytime.

Summer Palace West Gate Station - Turf Tram

The photographer can use branches as the foreground, placing the bridge arch in the lower third of the frame, with the sky and water occupying the upper two-thirds, creating a more balanced and harmonious composition.
1. Equipment: Fuji XT30 II, lens 18-55mm, or iPhone 16 Pro.
2. Shooting Time: It's recommended to shoot around 4:00 PM in the days before or after the Winter Solstice, when the light is good and it's easier to get great shots.

The Summer Palace - The Seventeen-Arch Bridge and its Reflection

1. Angle: The photographer stands at a side-front position, shooting at eye level. 2. Composition: The rule of thirds is used, placing the subject at the lower one-third of the frame, with the lake and distant buildings in the upper section, creating a balanced composition. 3. Lens: A medium focal length lens is used to blend the subject naturally with the background. 1. Travel Tips: The ticket price is 20 yuan off-season and 30 yuan peak season.

Summer Palace - Under the Peach Blossom Trees on the Western Dike