Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Detour:
Fragrant Hills Park Botanic Gardens
Within striking distance of the Summer Palace are Beijing's Western Hills ( Xi Shan),
another former villa-resort of the emperors.
The section closest to Beijing is known as Fragrant Hills Park
( Xiang Shan
Gongyuan;
Click here
summer/winter ¥10/5; 6am-7.30pm; Xiyuan or Yuan-
mingyuan, then 331).
Scramble up the slopes to the top of
Incense-Burner
Peak
(Xianglu Feng), or take the
chairlift
(one way/return ¥30/50;
8.30am-5pm)
.
From the peak there's an all-encompassing view of the countryside, and you can
leave the crowds behind by hiking further into the Western Hills. Beijingers flock
here in autumn when the maple leaves saturate the hillsides in great splashes of
red.
Near the north gate of Fragrant Hills Park, but still within the park, is the excellent
Azure Clouds Temple
(Biyun Si; adult ¥10;
8am-5pm)
, which dates back to the
Yuan dynasty.
About 1km northeast of Fragrant Hills Park and exploding with blossom in spring
is the well-tended
Botanic Gardens
( Beijing Zhiwuyuan;
Click here
); adult ¥10,
through ticket ¥45; 6am-9pm summer (last entry 7pm), 7am-7pm winter (last
entry 5pm); Xiyuan or Yuanmingyuan, then 331)
. Containing a rainforest
house, the standout
Beijing Botanical Gardens Conservatory
(admission with
through ticket; 8.30am-4pm)
bursts with 3000 different varieties of plants.
About a 15-minute walk from the front gate (follow the signs), but within the
grounds of the gardens, is the
Sleeping Buddha Temple
(Wofo Si; adult ¥5, or
entry with through ticket; 8am-5pm)
. The temple, first built during the Tang dyn-
asty, houses a huge reclining effigy of Sakyamuni weighing 54 tonnes.
Note, sometime after 2013, the subway will extend all the way out here, via the
Summer Palace and Botanic Gardens.
OLD SUMMER PALACE
( Yuanming Yuan; admission ¥10, palace ruins ¥25, map ¥6; 7am-7pm;
Yuanmingyuan)
Forever etched on China's national consciousness for its
Historic Site
