The Seventeen-Arch Bridge over Kunming Lake in Beijing Summer Palace, China
© Jia Wang/Getty Image
Seventeen arches at sunset
When it's winter solstice time in the Northern Hemisphere, the setting sun shines under the Seventeen-Arch Bridge of the Summer Palace in Beijing, causing this romantic glow. In the 18th century, during the reign of the Qing dynasty of China, Emperor Qinglong ordered the construction of this 2.8 square kilometre collection of gardens, lakes, and various structures including temples and small palaces. Today it's one of Beijing's premier attractions and will be crowded today with visitors headed to the bridge in time for sunset.
Related Images
Sandhill cranes taking flight over the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska
Firefall at Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California
Winter at the Isis Temple in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
Prairie and pinnacles near Castle Trail in Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Frontenac Castle in Old Quebec City
Paepalanthus flowers at sunset, Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Brazil
At the top of Mount Fuji in Japan. Happy New Year!
Bing Today Images
Dawn light through frosty trees, Sweden
Dec 21, 2025
Halo around the sun, Ore Mountains, Saxony, Germany
Dec 21, 2024
Eastern gray squirrel peeking out of its den
Dec 21, 2017
