A new exhibition at the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture in Beijing is a rare chance to explore the unknown stories behind the Summer Palace, a World Heritage Site declared by the UNESCO as "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design".

Nearly 400 antiques spanning more than 2,000 years are on display in this exhibit that kicked off on Sept 25 in celebration of the 270th anniversary of the Summer Palace.

"A Story of Gardens II — 270 Years of the Summer Palace" showcases 398 pieces (sets) of cultural relics and artifacts from eight top-tier museums and cultural institutes, including the Palace Museum, the National Library, the Shenyang Palace Museum, and the Summer Palace.

About 60 percent of the precious items on display are being unveiled to the public for the first time, allowing the viewers to explore the unknown stories involving the iconic garden lying in the northwest of Beijing.

In addition to a series of Summer Palace-themed ancient paintings, the exhibition also features a variety of antiques and historic documents, such as the first car used by the Chinese court, as well as the old photos, official tickets and postcards.

Through the exhibition, the visitors are able to have a close look at the life of the royal family in ancient China and the changing of the landmark in the past century from a private imperial garden to a popular tourist attraction.

An imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Summer Palace is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in China's capital city, covering an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three-quarters of which is water.

The historic site — the best preserved imperial garden in the world and the largest of its kind still in existence in China — was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List, which declares the royal park "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design".

The exhibition is running from Sept 25 through Dec 27, free to the public. Visitors can make a reservation via the official account of the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture on WeChat.

A digital exhibition was launched on Sept 25 on the Summer Palace's WeChat account, and people who cannot attend in person due to the coronavirus pandemic are able to take a virtual tour from very comfort of home.