Exten­sive gar­dens and palaces con­struct­ed by the Qing emper­ors, cur­rent­ly a UNESCO World Her­itage site. In 1860, for­eign sol­diers dam­aged much of what was then known as the Gar­den of Clear Rip­ples, but the area would be rebuilt and renamed by the Empress Dowa­ger Cixi, using funds intend­ed for mod­ern­iz­ing the Qing navy. To arrive, take the 4 sub­way to Beigong­men. This is adja­cent to the north park entrance, north of a steep hill. It is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed to walk around this hill (or over the top) on one of the many trails, to see the roy­al build­ings which are scat­tered around the palace grounds. The fer­ry rides on the large lake (south of the hill) are very fun.