Summer Palace in Beijing

The Summer Palace lies in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing. It is the largest and best preserved royal garden in China. Occupying an area of 290 hectares, the park consists mainly of a hill, called Longevity Hill and a lake, Kunming Lake, with halls, towers, galleries, pavilions, bridges and islands dotted all over. Blending southern Chinese-style garden architecture with northern China's natural landscapes, the gardens are probably the best of their kind when it comes to Chinese garden architecture. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List.