Beihai Park

Beihai Park is one of the oldest imperial gardens in Beijing and covers around 71 hectares, more than half of it lake. Its history goes back to 1179, when the Jin dynasty emperor Zhangzong had a resort built here and the lake dug. Kublai Khan's architects later reshaped the island at its centre, and the Ming and Qing dynasties added palaces, temples and pavilions. It opened to the public in 1925. The lake connects at its northern end with the Shichahai lakes.

The focal point is Jade Flower Island, rising to 32 metres, and the White Dagoba on its summit. This Tibetan-style stupa, 40 metres tall and made of white stone, was built to honour the fifth Dalai Lama's visit in 1651. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1679 and rebuilt the next year, and repaired again after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. From the island you look across the water to the rest of the park, and Jingshan and the Forbidden City lie just to the east.

On the north shore are two more highlights. The Nine-Dragon Wall, built in 1402, is one of three such walls in China and is covered in seven-coloured glazed tiles with nine dragons on each side. Nearby are the Five-Dragon Pavilions, five connected Ming pavilions on the north bank. The Round City contains the Hall of Received Light, which houses a 1.6-metre white jade Buddha said to have been given to the Guangxu Emperor by a Khmer king; its left arm was damaged by foreign troops in 1900. The time-honoured Fangshan Restaurant, founded in 1925 and known for imperial-style banquets, stands beside Kuaixue Hall in the park.

Tickets can be bought through the official Visiting Beijing Parks platform on WeChat. In winter, many people skate on the frozen Shichahai lakes just to the north, and in late October and early November the maples and smoke trees on the west side of the island change colour, according to the park authority.

Allow two hours to walk around the lake and climb the island. The park suits families, couples and anyone looking for a quieter place than the Forbidden City nearby. Jingshan Park is just to the east, and the Shichahai lakes, joined to Beihai's lake at its northern end, are a short walk north.