There is always a place for the emperor to handle the court affairs in every imperial garden. The Emperor Qianlong required all be named Qinzheng (diligent governance) Hall, indicating that the emperor must attend court affairs even while relaxing.During Cixi's reign, the political center of the court was almost moved from the Forbidden City to the Summer Palace. Accordingly, the administrative area appeared greatly important, the majoy architecture of which was renamed the Hall of Benevolent Logevity.

Before reaching the main gate of the palace, we will pass a wooden arch with four pillars. On both sides of the arch were inscibed four characters:Hanxu (lovely water) and Yanxiu (hidden beautiful hills), which indicated the enchanting scenery of lakes and hills behind the arch. Then, passing a small stone bridge and red screen wall, we will get to the eastern palace gate, the main gate of the Summer Palace.

Looking alike the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, the 5-room-wide palace gate is hung the stele with the Chinese expression for the Summer Palace, which was handwritten by the Emperor Guangxu. A couple of vivid bronze lion stood beside the gate, left from the original Qingyi Garden. The stone right on the picture of tow dragons playing a pearl, works completed in Emperor Qianlong's reign and then transferred from the ruins of Yuanming Park to the p resent site. Officals offending the emperor would beflogged with a stick on the stone. The buildings outside the two sides off the gate served to be the court rooms for officials and working place for the guards on duty.

As the main gate of the whold palace and the beginning of the administrative area, the easternpalace gate was well guarded during the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi. There were even fences along the eastern palace gate till the arch, prohibiting strictly the approach of ordinary citizens.

| The Summer Palace |