Beihai Park

Beihai ("North Sea") is one of the oldest and best-preserved imperial gardens in China, with parts dating to the 11th century. The park centers on a 39-hectare lake; Jade Flower Island in the middle is crowned by the 35-meter White Dagoba — a Tibetan-Buddhist stupa from 1651 that's one of Beijing's most recognizable silhouettes. It's directly northwest of the Forbidden City (10-minute walk from Jingshan Park's north gate) and pairs naturally with that morning's palace visit. Less famous and less mobbed than the Summer Palace, Beihai is where Beijing locals come to row paddle boats, do tai chi, and walk the willow-lined embankments. The Nine-Dragon Screen (九龙壁) — a 27-meter glazed-tile wall depicting nine dragons among the clouds — is one of only three such Qing-era screens left in China.