Stretching for 728m along the north shore of Kunming Lake, the open-air Long Corridor is one of the premier sights of the Summer Palace. One can imagine Cixi talking a stroll, enjoying the cool breeze off the lake, and admiring the many thousands of artworks painted on the crossbeams, ceiling and pillars, depicting scenic views from around China, famous myths, Buddhist scenes and folktales.
During the 1980s, faculty from Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts set to work restoring the many paintings on the corridor.