“圓明園”，這一名稱是由康熙皇帝命名的。康熙皇帝禦書三字匾牌，就懸挂在圓明園殿的門楣上方。對這個"圓明"雍正皇帝有個解釋，說“圓明”二字的含義是：“圓而入神，君子之時中也；明而普照，達人之睿智也。”意思是說，“圓”是指個人品質階級標榜明君賢相的理想標准。

"The Old Summer Palace", this name is named by the emperor Kangxi. The emperor Kangxi 's book three word plaque, was hung in the Old Summer Palace of the lintel above the temple. On the" round" the emperor Yong Zheng have an explanation, say" round" two the meaning of the word is: "round and God, man of the time also; Ming and shines, master of wisdom and." Mean," circle" refers to the personal quality of class as Ming Junxian is the ideal standard.

圓明園是清代著名的皇家園林之一。圓明三園面積五千二百余畝，一百五十余景。圓明園最初是康熙皇帝賜給皇四子胤禛（即後來的雍正皇帝）的花園。在康熙四十六年即公元1707年時，園已初具規模。同年十一月，康熙皇帝曾親臨圓明園遊賞。雍正皇帝于1723年即位後，拓展原賜園，並在園南增建了正大光明殿和勤政殿以及內閣、六部、軍機處諸值房，禦以“避喧聽政”。

Old Summer Palace is a famous Qing Dynasty one of the Royal gardens. Round three garden area Wuqianerbaiyu acres, more than 150 king. Old Summer Palace was originally given to the four son of emperor Kangxi Yin Zhen (later emperor Yong Zheng ) in the garden. In Kangxi forty-six years that the year 1707, park has begun to take shape. In November the same year, the emperor Kangxi had at the Old Summer Palace tours. Yong Zheng the emperor ascended the throne in 1723, expanding the original Grant Park, and in the South Park built be open and aboveboard temple and the Qin Zhengdian and cabinet, six, the value of real military department, to avoid the" Royal master".

乾隆皇帝在位60年，對圓明園歲歲營構， 日日修華，浚水移石，費銀千萬。他除了對圓明園進行局部增建、改建之外，除在緊東鄰新建了長春園，在東南鄰並入了绮春園。至乾隆三十五年即1770年，圓明三園的格局基本形成。嘉慶朝，主要對绮春園進行修繕和拓建，使之成爲主要園居場所之一。道光朝時，國事日衰，財力不足，但甯撤萬壽、香山、玉泉“三山”的陳設，罷熱河避暑與木蘭狩獵，仍不放棄圓明三園的改建和裝飾。

In the 60 year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong year, old summer palace construction, China daily repair, dredges the water shift stone, Fei Yin must. In addition to his local additions, alterations to old summer palace outside, except in the tight East New Changchun Garden, in the southeastern adjacent incorporated Qi spring garden. In the thirty-five years to 1770, three Yuan Ming garden pattern is formed basically. Once in, mainly on Qi spring garden was renovated and the extension of the building, which became the main garden occupies the place of one. Daoguang dynasties, a state of bad days, lack of financial resources, but rather from Chaenomeles, Xiangshan, Yuquan" hills", furnishings, Jehol and Magnolia summer hunting, still did not give up round three Park renovation and decoration.