The most inviting architecture compound of the scenic area is the group of religious architectures on the central axis. Built along the hill, the architectures were all in line with the world outlook of Buddhism, covering an area of some 20,000 sq meters.

Located at the very front end of the central axis, the Hall of Xumi Lingjing, stationed by two three-meter-high re-ligious stone pillar, behind which is the Hall of Xiangyan Zonyin. Originally three-story architecture modeled on the Puning Temple of Chengde, the extant one-story hall was rebuilt at Cixi's command. Around the hall are the four Buddhist architectures representing the four parts of the world when the earth came into being according to Buddhism. Besides, there are four lama pagodas in red, white, green and black to the southeast, southwest, northwest and northeast of the hall. According to buddhism, the four pagodas composed the four elements of the world:earth, fire, water and wind. But they were also said to symbolize the gods governing the four parts of the world respectively. Right in the middle stands two platforms, representing the sun and moon. It indicated that the sun and moon both move around the Buddha. Walking upward, we will catch sight of the artificial hill. Due to the exquisite skill, we cannot even tell the real hill and the artificial one apart.

The construction of such a group of magnificent lamaseries in the Summer Palace served the Emperor Qian-long's political purpose. Since the end of 17th century, wars broke out among differnet ethnic groups and tribes, incurring great threat to the stability of western border of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, the emperors of early Qing Dynasty endeavored much to solve this problem. Among them, the Emperor Qianlong made marked achieve-ments by adopting the policy of war and appeasement measures. As people in the area of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia mostly believe in Lamaism, Emperor Qianlong then had the Buddhist temples built in the Summer Palace regardless of the cost. On the One hand ,it bespoke the importance the rulers attached to the Lamaism; on the other hand, these temples indicated that Beijing was the very center of Lamaism, subduing the disciples of Lamaism among ethnic groups. The subsequent facts proved the emperor's suchess.

Unfortunately, these architectures, plus the three hills and five gardens in western suburb were reduced to ashes in the war of 1860. Lacking money when reconstructing the palace at Cixi's order in 1888, the original three-story Hall of Xiangyan Zongyin was restored to only a one-story hall. Vast investment was made in later renovation by the national government in 1980, basically restored them to the original state.

| The Summer Palace |