Boat ride to Summer Palace
Take in this lakeside imperial residence the calm and cool way
The extravagant lakeside temples, monuments and palaces of the imperial summer residence out to the northwest are now on a metro line, but best reached by boat along Beijing’s network of canals and rivers, if you’re there between April 1 and October 31. Wave at stalled traffic as you pass through a metropolis that suddenly seems quiet and green. Board just east of Beijing Zoo, or in Purple Bamboo Park. Or take the Shangri-La Hotel’s deluxe version (book via beijing@shangri-la.com or +86 10 6841 2211).