The former Summer Palace, a complex of European-style buildings, was built under the reign of the emperor Qianlong, between 1740 and 1747, and based on plans drawn up by Jesuit missionaries. This complex, the splendour of which incorporated the best of Western and Chinese architecture, was nicknamed the "Versailles of the Orient", until its destruction by Anglo-French troops in 1860. Nowadays, although all that remain are its majestic ruins, the park makes for a very pleasant stroll.