Autumn in Beijing is like a paint palette spilled across the city. Among all its colors, the Summer Palace Fall Colors stand out as the most dazzling masterpiece. This UNESCO World Heritage royal garden becomes a living painting when the season turns.
If you’re visiting for the first time, or hoping to capture breathtaking photos, this guide is for you. I’ll take you to the best photo spots for fall foliage in the Summer Palace—places where nature’s colors meet centuries of history, and every step feels like walking through an autumn dream.
🍂 Summer Palace Fall Colors： A Royal Garden’s Autumn Palette
The first time I saw the Summer Palace Autumn Foliage, I didn’t know where to look first.
Every path, every courtyard, every lakeside view was drenched in a different shade of fall.
It felt like walking through an artist’s palette, each brushstroke alive in the crisp autumn air.
In late October, the ginkgo trees turn gold. Their fan-shaped leaves shimmer in the sunlight, especially near the Hall of Dispelling Clouds and along the Long Corridor. When the leaves fall, they spread a golden carpet under my feet, and for a moment, it feels like stepping into a fairy tale.
Then there are the maples—blazing red along the east bank of Kunming Lake, in the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures, and by the Back Lake. Their fiery tones frame the ancient pavilions, adding a timeless, almost poetic beauty.
By Suzhou Street and at the foot of Longevity Hill, the maple sycamores shift from green to orange-yellow, soft and gentle, perfect for dreamy autumn photos.
Near the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, tall plane trees line a quiet avenue. Their deep-brown leaves crunch underfoot, the sound echoing in the still air. It’s one of the best photo spots for fall foliage in the Summer Palace, especially if you want portraits with a vintage autumn feel.
📸 Best Photo Spots for Fall Foliage in the Summer Palace
Every autumn, the Summer Palace Autumn Foliage turns this historic royal garden into a living gallery. In this part of the guide, I’ll take you to the best photo spots for fall foliage in the Summer Palace—places where golden light meets centuries-old architecture, and every turn invites another photograph.
1. Suzhou Street (苏州街)· Autumn Charm by the Water
📍 Best time to visit: Late October to early November
Whenever I think of the best places to see for autumn colors in the Summer Palace, Suzhou Street comes to mind first. It’s a charming water-town street, built in the style of Jiangnan’s river villages, with stone bridges arching over quiet canals.
In autumn, the maple sycamores along the banks begin their slow transformation. Some leaves turn bright yellow, others a soft crimson. They hang low over the water, their reflections rippling with the passing boats. The air carries the faint scent of damp wood and fallen leaves, mingling with the hum of shopkeepers arranging their goods.
I love standing on one of the small bridges here, looking down the waterway framed by old shopfronts and autumn foliage. It’s where human history and nature’s beauty meet in perfect harmony—one of the most photogenic corners of the Summer Palace Fall Colors.
📷 Photography Tips:
- Frame the wooden shop signs together with clusters of autumn leaves to create a story-rich composition.
- Use the river’s surface to capture reflections for a layered, painterly effect.
2. Back Lake (后湖)· Hidden Red-Leaf Path
📍 Best time to visit: Early November
After Suzhou Street, I head for the Back Lake—also called the Houxi River. It’s one of the quieter parts of the Summer Palace, yet in autumn it rivals the grandest views. Here, the Summer Palace Autumn Foliage gathers in secret, away from the busy promenades.
Maples and maple sycamores grow close together, their branches weaving overhead to form a tunnel of red leaves. Walking beneath it feels like stepping into an autumn fairy tale. The light softens here, filtering through the canopy in warm, shifting tones. Each gust of wind sends a flurry of leaves spinning down, catching in my hair and on my shoulders.
This hidden path might just be one of the best places to see for autumn colors in the Summer Palace—and yet most visitors walk right past it. That’s part of its charm.
📷 Photography Tips:
- Capture the winding path so the red leaves create a natural frame for your shot.
- Shoot against the light to make the leaves glow in vivid crimson.
3. Garden of Harmonious Pleasures (谐趣园) · A Thousand Shades of Maple
📍 Best time to visit: Early November
The Garden of Harmonious Pleasures is a garden within the garden—a miniature world tucked inside the Summer Palace. Modeled after Jichang Garden in Wuxi, it is refined and intimate, with winding waterways, stone bridges, and delicately carved pavilions.
In early November, the maple leaves here are nothing short of intoxicating. They turn every shade from soft coral to deep crimson, their colors deepened by the gentle autumn light. Paired with the small bridges, flowing streams, and ancient buildings, the view feels like a living ink painting, touched with warm red brushstrokes.
I love pausing here to watch the reflections ripple in the water. Sometimes a breeze stirs the surface, blending the maples and pavilions into dreamlike patterns. This is without doubt one of the best photo spots for fall foliage in the Summer Palace, especially if you enjoy the quiet elegance of Jiangnan-style gardens.
📷 Photography Tips:
- Use the water’s surface to capture the symmetry of red leaves and classical architecture.
- Wear Hanfu or light-colored clothing to create a striking contrast with the fiery maples for a timeless, classical feel.
4. Kunming Lake · Autumn Reflections Beneath the Endless Sky
📍 Best time to visit: Late October to mid-November
Kunming Lake is the heart and soul of the Summer Palace. In autumn, its beauty becomes almost overwhelming. The willows along the shore turn a soft gold, their branches swaying gently over the water.
Far in the distance, Longevity Hill glows in layers of red, orange, and yellow, the Summer Palace fall colors wrapping the slopes like a quilt.
On calm days, the lake is a perfect mirror. It reflects every detail—the warm hues of the forest, the curve of the hills, and the pale blue of the autumn sky. Near the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, the scene turns magical at sunset.
Golden light pours across the water, the arches catching the glow as if carved from sunlight itself.
It’s one of the best places to see for autumn colors in the Summer Palace, and I never leave without lingering here until the last light fades.
📷 Photography Tips:
- Use a telephoto lens to compress the scene, layering mountains, water, and bridge in a single frame.
- Rent a small boat and shoot from the water for a fresh, unique perspective.
5. West Causeway (西堤) · A Glorious Moment in Autumn
📍 Best time to visit: Late October to early November
Stretching nearly two kilometers from south to north, the West Causeway is one of my favorite places to walk when the Summer Palace autumn foliage is at its peak. In late autumn, the willow leaves turn a mellow gold, becoming the dominant color of the landscape. From any angle, the causeway feels like a painting—broad, sweeping, and touched by nature’s most patient brush.
On the west side of the embankment lies a vast lotus pond. By this time of year, the flowers are gone, their leaves withered and falling, leaving only bare stalks swaying in the breeze. Yet even in this decay, there’s beauty—the golden pond, crowned with feathery reeds in bloom, tells the quiet closing chapter of autumn.
Ancient mulberry trees along the causeway still stand strong, their branches heavy with gold leaves.
They glow in the low morning sun, scattering pools of light across the path.
Near Youfeng Bridge (幽风桥) the scenery becomes truly unforgettable. Four old mulberries grow on the north side of the bridge, their golden leaves shining brighter than anywhere else in the garden.
When the early sunlight hits, it pours over the bridge and across the water toward the distant Tower of Buddhist Incense, creating a scene that captures the very essence of the Summer Palace fall colors.
I always linger here, camera in hand, knowing this might be the most perfect moment of the season.
📷 Photography Tips:
- Visit in the early morning for soft golden light and fewer visitors.
- Frame the bridge with the Tower of Buddhist Incense in the background for a classic postcard shot.
🎯 Practical Tips
If you’re planning to see the Summer Palace autumn foliage at its best, timing and preparation make all the difference.
Here’s how I make the most of every visit.
✅ Best Time to Visit:
Late October to mid-November is peak season for the best places to see autumn colors in the Summer Palace. The exact dates shift slightly each year, so keep an eye on the weather forecast before you go.
✅ Recommended A Complete Autumn Colors Walking Route:
Enter through the North Palace Gate → Stroll along Suzhou Street → Wander the quiet Back Lake path → Pause at the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures → Walk the Long Corridor → Visit the Hall of Dispelling Clouds → Circle Kunming Lake → Retrace and walk to the Seventeen-Arch Bridge → Walk through the West Causeway → Exit through the North Palace Gate.
This route covers nearly all the best photo spots for fall foliage in the Summer Palace in a single visit. You can explore it section by section, adjusting to your time and energy.
✅ What to Wear:
Beijing’s autumn weather changes quickly—bring a windproof jacket and a scarf. For photos, beige, camel, and deep red clothing stand out beautifully against the golden ginkgo and fiery maple leaves.
✅ Tickets:
- Peak Season (Apr–Oct): ¥30 | Off-Season (Nov–Mar): ¥20
- Combo Ticket (includes garden-within-a-garden access): ¥60 peak | ¥50 off-season
For detailed visiting tips, check my complete guide: How to Visit the Summer Palace.
Whether I’m strolling under golden ginkgo leaves, drifting across Kunming Lake, or losing myself among the crimson maples of the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures, autumn here is pure enchantment. The Summer Palace fall colors are more than just a seasonal display—they’re a living painting, steeped in centuries of royal history and shaped by the hands of nature.
Every corner offers its own romance: the quiet rustle of leaves along the West Causeway, the mirror-like reflections on the Back Lake, the elegant corridors glowing in the late afternoon sun. It’s impossible not to pause, breathe in the cool air, and feel a deep connection to this timeless garden.
So, take your camera, lace up comfortable shoes, and follow the paths to the best places to see autumn colors in the Summer Palace.
Come ready to wander, to linger, and to let the light and color wrap around you.
You might arrive as a visitor—but you’ll leave with autumn etched in your heart. ✨ Happy autumn travels!
🌟Further Reading
How to Visit Summer Palace: Tickets, Maps, Routes, Eating & Tips
How many entrances and exits to the Summer Palace? – Ruqin China Travel
