The Mountain Resort (避暑山庄) is an imperial park of extraordinary scale — 564 hectares enclosed within a 10-kilometre wall, containing palaces, temples, lakes, and a grassland meadow that the emperors used for archery practice and cavalry drills. The Kangxi Emperor began construction in 1703 and subsequent rulers kept adding to it throughout the eighteenth century.
The southern section holds the main palace complex, which is understated by imperial standards — the Qing emperors deliberately built in local stone rather than the glazed tiles of Beijing, projecting an image of frugality appropriate to a "summer retreat." The northern section opens into parkland, with boat-hire on the lakes in summer.
Allow a full day. The site is large enough that cycling (bikes available for hire inside) is a practical option for covering the grassland and northern areas.