The Summer Palace in northwest Beijing is the great Qing imperial garden and the largest surviving imperial garden in China - a UNESCO site since 1998.
Core sights: Kunming Lake covers three-quarters of the park, with the Foxiang Pavilion on Longevity Hill above; the Seventeen-Arch Bridge links the lake islands, and around the winter solstice the sunset "golden light through arches" is a photo icon.
The Long Corridor, the world longest covered gallery at 728 metres, carries over 14,000 painted scenes on its beams (Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, landscapes and flowers) - take your time.
The marble boat is a Sino-Western hybrid vessel by the lake; the bronze ox guards the shore, symbolising flood control.
Route: enter the East Palace Gate, walk the corridor to Foxiang Pavilion for the view, boat to South Lake Island, exit the South Ruyi Gate - about 3-4 hours.
Tickets: 30 yuan high season (60 combo including the Hall of Virtuous Harmony), 20 low season; bookable online, Metro Line 4 goes straight there.
