Marble Boat was first built in 1750. Formerly there was a Chinese-style wooden superstructure on the top of it. In 1860, it was burned down by the Anglo-French forces. In 1893, a foreign-style superstructure and two wheelers, one on each side, were added to the boat. It was named the Boat for Pure Banquets.
The body, 36 metres long, is built of marble. The superstructure is made of wood, but painted to look like marble. The floor is paved with coloured bricks. All the windows are inlaid with multi-coloured glass. There is a drainage system to let rain water flow down through the four hollow concrete pillars and into the lake by the mouths of the dragon heads.
The boat was used for enjoying the lake scenery to be a symbol of stability of the Qing Dynasty.
