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The park was built in the Jin Dynasty (1186). The park is open all year around but the best time to visit it is in autumn, when all the leaves turn red/orange colour and it will just leave you mesmerized. Běijīng Zhíwùyuán (Beijing Botanical Gardens), are located next to the foot of Xiāngshān. It's a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, and would be ideal for anyone who wants to while away their time in beautiful surroundings, including the greenhouse and a special rose garden that contains at least five types of rose flower. Quite romantic too!

After spending the day at Xiāngshān and Běijīng Zhíwùyuán, it would provide a nice ending to the day if you visited the town of Wu Dao Kou - an area near the Tsinghua and Beijing Universities, popular with tourists, foreign students and expats alike. There are a myriad of restaurants of all different types of cuisines (including Indian, Italian and Mexican). There are also some nice Japanese and Korean restaurants where you can drink authentic Japanese or Korean beer over a nice meal.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19445 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16590
On to Xinjiang and the heavenly mountains of Tianshan and Kunlin with Central Asian peoples that have persisted here for centuries. Have a look at the photographs here:

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Travel by public transport, go to villages where you are the only outside visitor, meet the rural population and avoid tickets and people trying to sell their gear. I was thrilled seeing Beijing in a different light and had a wonderful experience with Chinafaces.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15425