The Old Summer Palace, also known as Yuanmingyuan ( 圓明園, ‘Gardens of Perfect Brightness’) originally called the Imperial Gardens and sometimes called the Winter Palace, was a complex of palaces and gardens in present-day Haidian District, Beijing, China. It is 8 kilometres north-west of the walls of the former Imperial City section of Beijing. Constructed throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Old Summer Palace was the main imperial residence of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty and his successors, and where they handled state affairs; the Forbidden City was used for formal ceremonies.

During the Second Opium War, French and British troops captured the palace on 6 October 1860, looting and destroying the imperial collections over the next few day. Following the sacking of the Old Summer Palace, the Qing imperial court relocated to the Forbidden City.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to the The Old Summer Palace Yuanmingyuan on December 11, 2013. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.