[Photo/Xinhua]

NO.2 Summer Palace, 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 Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake with halls, towers, galleries, pavilions, bridges and islands spread throughout the grounds. Blending southern Chinese 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.