At the west end of the Long Corridor, visitors may easily find a boat, named Marble Boat (Shifang). This two-storied boat was originally built in 1755 in Chinese style during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, but its superstructure was burnt out by the Anglo-French Allied Forces. In 1893, Empress Dowager Cixi had it rebuilt in an imitation of western-style yachts. The boat is not entirely made of marble, but has some wood subassemblies. The wood, however, gussies up marble texture perfectly, which makes it harmonious with the main marble body.

This luxurious boat has its historical origin with Wei Zheng, a famous faithful minister of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who told the emperor, 'The waters that bear the boat is the same that swallow it up.' In the words, he compared the relationship between the emperor and his people as that between a boat and waters. In this way, he suggested that the emperor love his people, otherwise, the exasperated people would overthrow the emperor's reign. Emperor Qianlong had the firm boat made of stone, hoping that the reign of the Qing Dynasty would never be toppled.

 Summer palace Attractions: