Haidian District

Making the Most of Your Time

Because the Summer Palace is so large, with its lovely lakes and ancient pavilions, it makes for an entire morning of great exploring. The Old Summer Palace is close by, so visiting the two sites together is ideal if you've got the energy.

Fragrant Hills Park makes for a charming outing, but keep in mind that it takes at least an hour and a half to get there from the city center. The Botanical Garden, with some 2,000 types of orchids, bonsai, and peach and pear blossoms, along with the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is also fun, especially for green thumbs. Plan to spend most of a day if you go to either of these sites.

Hailong Shopping Mall. If you want to shop for electronics, spend an afternoon wandering the five floors of the Hailong Shopping Mall. 1 Zhongguancun Dajie, Beijing.

Evenings in Wudaokou are a pleasure. After dinner, take advantage of the hopping beer gardens. A mug of Tsingtao is a great way to start a summer night off right.