A True Account of How My Wallet Suffered at the Summer Palace

💥Ticket Shocker💥 💰Peak season tickets cost ¥40! Combined tickets are ¥60 and include the Tower of Buddhist Incense (but your legs will be jelly after climbing it). ⚠️Student tickets are half price, but they check student IDs rigorously! Photos of diplomas won't cut it. 🚫Important! Suzhou Street costs an extra ¥10 = It's a mini shopping street, don't fall for it. 🚌Transportation Nightmare Warning ➊Subway Line 4 to Beigongmen Station? The exit is so crowded you'll question your life choices! ➋Exit C of Xiyuan Station is closer! But unlicensed taxi drivers will harass you. ➌Parking is ¥40/hour! Scalpers charge ¥100 to park you next to a dumpster. 📸Photo Disasters 1️⃣West Dike Peach Blossom Sea 🌸Online photos: A sea of blossoms (Reality: hordes of aunties shaking trees and creating a blizzard of petals). ✅Solution: Climb over the wall at 6am! Bring a folding ladder to capture an "empty sea of blossoms" from above. 2️⃣Leshoutang Hall Magnolias 📸Bloggers' ethereal white flowers = Security guards spraying them with water hoses! 💡Pro tip: Bring your own spray bottle! Mist the auntie next to you to create a hazy effect. 3️⃣Kunming Lake Boat Ride 🚤Exorbitant boat ride at ¥150/person! The boatman blasts cheesy pop music. ㊙️Hidden gem: Take the ¥20 ferry! Pretend you're an empress. 💣Rip-off Alert ⚠️Bottled water is ¥8 in the park! Vending machines are always empty. ⚠️"Imperial Afternoon Tea" ¥288 set = Supermarket cookies with Lipton tea. ⚠️Hanfu photoshoot ¥699/hour! The clothes have yellow armpits and smell like hot pot. ⚠️Audio guide deposit ¥200! You have to watch a 10-minute ad to get it back. ✨Local Survival Guide 👗Wear a light-colored cheongsam! Security might mistake you for staff and let you skip the line. 📱Use the "Spring Oil Painting" filter on MeituXiuxiu! It's way better than the ¥198 snapshots in the park. 🍔Bring self-heating hot pot! Enjoy it on the Long Corridor like royalty. 🌂Bring a clear umbrella! Take some moody, atmospheric photos in the rain.