The Summer Palace experienced many vicissitudes in its long history. In as far as the Chin and Ming dynasties, the area was already considered as an amusement park for royal families, and was called the "Wengshan Hill Lake." In the Ming Dynasty, the Fine Mountain Park was built and a temple named the Yuanjing Temple was also built at the southern foot of the Wengshan Hill. The name of the lake was also changed from Wengshan Hill Lake into the West Lake, which is known for its "10 sceneries." In the "Prosperity of the Emperor Qianlong" period, in order to celebrate his mother's 60th birthday, the Emperor Qianlong changed the name of Wengshan Hill into the Hill of Longevity, and changed the name of the West Lake into Kunming Lake, as well as built the Temple of Paying Great Gratitude for Longevity on the original site of the Yuanjing Temple. He also changed the name of the Fine Mountain Park into the Garden of Clear Ripples.

Then, the Summer Palace underwent a great construction period that lasted for 15 years, and a spectacular and majestic imperial garden emerged. The Garden of Clear Ripples became a part of the most renowned "Three Hills and Five Gardens" of Beijing in the Qing Dynasty, and was known best for its beautiful sceneries. In 1860, the garden was burnt down by the allied forces of the U.K and France. Between 1886 and 1895, the Empress Dowager Ci Xi reconstructed the Summer Palace using military expenditure for the navy in order to celebrate her birthday. The reconstruction work lasted 10 years and cost 8 million "liang" of silver and the name of the Garden was also changed into the Summer Palace.