In the Qing Dynasty, Yuanmingyuan was a royal garden, which was built by Emperor Guangxu for Cixi's retirement. It is a private royal garden, and ordinary people are not allowed to enter. Later, it was ransacked twice, once by the British and French allied forces and once by Eight-Nation Alliance.

Now it is a national park and a tourist attraction. You only need to pay 60 yuan to buy a ticket to enter. Of course, there are still some scenic spots that you need to spend money on.