The Marble Boat, was built in 1755 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong - as a symbol of stability for the empire of the Qing Dynasty..  It is located in the Kunming Lake on the grounds of The Summer Palace, outside Beijing, China.  

The Summer Palace (and the marble boat) are closely associated with the Dowager Empress Cixi.  It was she who restored the boat in 1893, adding the French style superstructure.  The boat was her favorite place in the park, where she and other royals used to "take tea" while they admired the beauty of the royal gardens.  Cixi paid for the boat's extravagant superstructure with funds meant for the modernization of the Imperial Navy.

The Marble Boat is the most famous image from the Summer Palace.  Seen from afar, it looks very much like a ship ready for sailing, and actually seems to be "floating" on the water.