Summer Palace

Located in northwestern Beijing, the Summer Palace is by far the city's most well-preserved royal park and a whopper of a complex to walk around.

With its huge lake and hilltop views, the palace offers you a pastoral escape into the landscape of traditional Chinese paintings. Huge Kunming Lake swallows up three quarters of the entire park, overlooked by Longevity Hill.

The principal building is the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, where old ruling emperors used to govern; the Long Corridor, which sits just inside the east gate, is now occupied by seniors playing chess and holding their birdcages.

Walking farther inside, you'll find the Garden of Virtue and Harmony, the former entertainment complex for Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty. This three-story theater stage is the biggest and best-preserved wooden stage in China, with a delicate design and magnificent structure.The Summer Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.