When the Kangxi Emperor first laid out the Mountain Resort he selected and named thirty-six "scenic spots" — particular views, pavilions, and pieces of garden that he wanted to be experienced in a particular order. His grandson Qianlong added another thirty-six. Together they form a kind of imperial walking tour of the park.
A handful of the spots have been carefully restored and are signed in English: the Misty Rain Pavilion on its lake island, the Wenjin Pavilion that once held one of the four copies of the Siku Quanshu imperial library, the Yongyou Pagoda rising over the northern grasslands. Picking up a map at the gate and finding even five or six of them is a satisfying way to organise a day inside the resort — better than just walking until your feet hurt.