Beijing, China's vibrant cosmopolitan and ancient capital has been home to some of the world's many wonders. You may have already heard of the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, but there are still more places to see and things to do when you're in town. What's more promising is that Beijing hotels are located within considerable walking and driving distances, making them more accessible to locals and tourists alike.

Under the imperial rule, the emperor, his family and subordinates lived inside the Forbidden City. This was where the emperors disposed their duties as the 'Sons of Heaven,' where they were subjected to many pressures of their tasks. To calm themselves from the magnanimous jobs they were facing, the emperors built the Summer Palace.

Accurately called the 'Gardens of Nurtured Harmony,' the site is generally dominated by the Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill. It covers an area of 2.9 square kilometers, three-fourths of which are water. You can find a variety of palaces, gardens, and other classical-style architectural structures in the Palace itself. Transportation to this place is never a problem since Beijing hotels will take care of these for you.

One of the most important features of the complex, the Kunming Lake was created by extending a present body of water to imitate the West Lake in Hangzhou. The central lake was entirely man-made and the excavated soil was used to build Longevity Hill.

When the capital was moved near the Beijing area, emperor Wnyn Ling built a Gold Mountain Palace on the site of the hill. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed from Gold Mountain to Jug Hill (Weng Shan). The Qianlong emperor of the Qing Dynasty finally christened the hill with its present name.

Standing about 60 meters high, the hill holds many structures that are sequentially positioned to each other. Halls and ornate buildings filled the northern side while the natural scenery was preserved at the back.

Some of the notable buildings in the hill's northern side are the The Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Temple of Buddhist Virtue, and the Sea of Wisdom Temple, all having religious and cultural significance.

The Summer Palace was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, calling it "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design." Today, it not only serves as a tourist destination but also as a recreational park.

This must-visit site can easily be accessed since Beijing hotels will assist you in planning your itinerary. While staying in one of the hotels in Beijing, allow us to comfort you with the perks just like that of the Summer Palace. Indeed, in Beijing, you will experience a level of comfort that is more than what you have expected!


E. Larson is a long-time resident of Beijing, China. He works with the Beijing HWA Apartment Hotel and many other hotels in Beijing. Learn even more about the Beijing HWA Apartment Hotel here.

Finally back at home in Ealing, London after a fun and relaxing three weeks in Pattaya. So having kissed my wife i was greeted by the big pile of fresh post. God it was depressing. I had two parking tickets totalling 240.00 plus a 500.00 water rates invoice. This was then quickly followed by a demand from the water board for 1500.00 to fix a leak in their pipe! God I am only back 5 mins and I'm stressed already.

That's it I declared over my second bottle of white wine - we are moving to Thailand. Over the last 2 weeks a serious of un-related events had made me seriously consider my living situation. In London you live to work, it's what is expected - you grab a quick lunch and normally eat at your desk - I would often work 7 days a week and often 12 hours a day - in the winter I didn't see the sun. Things like those damm MP's and the expenses row which wouldn't have normally bothered me really p%^% me off, If it was any of us claiming for mortgages we didn't have we would be sacked and charged. Also my wife didn't like London anymore - she would complain but I could tell.

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