THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 141

In the far northwest corner of Beijing is the wonderful Summer Palace; an imperial
retreat which has retained the charm of centuries gone by, it's an excellent place to
get away from the smog of the city, and deservedly one of Beijing's most-visited sights.
Though rather eclipsed by its newer neighbour, the “old” Summer Palace of Yuan-
mingyuan also merits a visit, if only for the contrast provided by the ruins. Beijing's
main university district lies nearby, with student life revolving around the party hub of
Wudaokou. From here, it's not too far to Dazhong Temple, or by bus to the Botanical
Gardens , Xiangshan Park and other excursions to the west of Beijing. Continuing east
will bring you to area redeveloped for the 2008 Olympics, though somewhat neglected
since that heady summer. East again, and on the way to the airport, is the superb 798
Art District - tough to get to, but certainly worth it.

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The Summer Palace
颐和园 , yíhé yuán • Daily 8am-7pm, buildings close at 5pm • Park entry ￥ 20, including access to buildings
￥ 50 • 010 62881144 • Xiyuan or Beigongmen subway (both line 4); also accessible by boat
One of Beijing's must-see attractions, the Summer Palace is a lavish imperial playground
whose grounds are large enough to have an almost rural feel. Once the private haunt of the
notorious Empress Cixi , it functions today as a lovely public park, two-thirds of which is
taken up by KunmingLake . During the hottest months of the year, the imperial court would
decamp to this perfect hillside location, cooled by the lake and sheltered by judicious use of
garden landscaping.