Latest live photos, Yuanmingyuan lazy autumn viewing guide, no pitfalls

Autumn in Beijing is brief yet brilliant, and Yuanmingyuan is undoubtedly a rich oil painting color in the mix. This guide will take you to experience its most exquisite autumn scenery and provide detailed routes and photo tips.

🎫 Basic Information
📍Location: Yuanmingyuan, Beijing
🍂Best viewing period: Late October to early November, with the core attraction (such as Pingxiang Pavilion) peaking at the end of October.
💸Ticket price: 10 RMB per person, student tickets half price at 5 RMB. It is recommended to purchase online in advance or scan the code on-site for quick entry.
🚘Recommended transportation:
🚇 Subway: Line 4, "Yuanmingyuan Station" Exit B, about a 2-minute walk to the South Gate or Zhengjue Temple entrance, the most convenient.
🚗 Driving: Navigate to "Yuanmingyuan South Gate Parking Lot," but parking spaces may be tight, so arriving early is advised.

👉Three selected autumn viewing routes
You can choose the most suitable route based on your time and energy.
💁‍♀️Lazy Essentials Route (about 2 hours)
This route focuses on efficiency, suitable for visitors short on time but wanting to capture the core autumn colors.
👣Route: Enter from the South Gate or Zhengjue Temple entrance → head straight to the core autumn scenic area "Pingxiang Pavilion" → walk to the "Three Gardens Junction" → choose to take a sightseeing car or boat here for an easy trip → "Western Mansions Ruins" scenic area → finally exit from the East Gate.
👀Highlights: Time-saving and effortless, direct access to the most beautiful autumn scenery, enjoy the fun of water and land transportation.

💁‍♀️Panoramic Deep Route (about 3-4 hours)
This route balances natural autumn colors and historical relics for a more complete experience.
👣Route: Enter from the South Gate → visit "Pingxiang Pavilion" → go to the dock to take a boat → reach "Western Mansions Ruins" by water → visit the "Panoramic Sand Table" model → stroll to the "Black Swan Viewing Area" → finally exit from the East Gate.
👀Highlights: Combination of water and land, changing scenes with each step, enjoy autumn leaves and history, rich experience.

📸Hiking Photography Route (about 4-5 hours)
Designed for photography and hiking enthusiasts, connecting many well-known and hidden photo spots.
👣Route: Enter from Zhengjue Temple entrance (first check in at the temple’s Ginkgo King) → "Pingxiang Pavilion" → "Hanqiu Hall" → walk to the "Three Gardens Junction" → stroll along the golden "Ginkgo Avenue" → "Western Mansions Ruins" → "Black Swan Viewing Area" → explore the colorful autumn along the "Rear Lake" shore → seek out the secret sycamore path in "Changchun Garden" → end the trip at the East Gate.
👀Highlights: Covers almost all the best photo spots in the park, perfect for deep exploration and creation.

🌟Hidden autumn viewing spots and photography tips
Besides the well-known attractions, the following hidden spots will make your photos stand out:
✅Pingxiang Pavilion: The core of the autumn scenery. Golden leaves and classical architecture reflected in the square pool. It is recommended to visit around 9:30 AM when the slanting sunlight makes the water and leaves look like sprinkled with gold powder, perfect for shooting reflections.
✅Shengdong Room and Chunze Studio: The white wax trees here have graceful shapes, with branches dipping into the lotus pond, creating perfect symmetrical compositions on the water surface, ideal for poetic portrait photography.
✅Ginkgo Avenue: The main road from the Three Gardens Junction to the Western Mansions Ruins. From late October to early November, the road is covered with golden ginkgo leaves. Using a wide-angle lens captures a striking autumn corridor scene.
✅Western Mansions Ruins: The collision of historical vicissitudes and natural brilliance. European-style ruins and dense golden ginkgo outside the walls frame a unique image creation spot.
✅Haoran Pavilion: Similar scenery to Pingxiang Pavilion but with fewer visitors, allowing you to compose and shoot more leisurely, easily getting exclusive beautiful photos.
✅Rear Lake: Walking around the lake, the maple trees and other trees show rich color layers, a tranquil place to shoot lake and autumn scenery.
✅Changchun Garden Sycamore Path: Find the small paths lined with sycamore trees on both sides. When the yellow leaves fall, they form a charming "golden tunnel," a dreamy background for portrait photography.

💡General photography advice:
Be sure to visit on a sunny day; soft sunlight is the best "filter" for autumn leaves. Try using water surfaces to shoot reflections, paying attention to changes in light and shadow and color matching.

📝Practical warm tips
1. Efficient touring: If time is very tight, directly use the "Lazy Essentials Route," focusing on Pingxiang Pavilion and Ginkgo Avenue to capture the core autumn scenery.
2. Real-time leaf condition: Before traveling, it is recommended to search social media for the latest live photos to accurately grasp the progress of leaf color change.
3. Nearby attractions: Yuanmingyuan is close to the Summer Palace, Yimu Garden Park, and others, which can be planned for the same day or the next day to experience different autumn vibes in Beijing.
4. Comfortable travel: Beijing’s autumn temperature varies greatly; please wear comfortable walking shoes and prepare a jacket according to the weather.