Floating Boaters

What could be more relaxing than a lazy afternoon drifting across one of Beijing's imperial lakes? Of course, you can always row if you want, or take the really easy pedal-powered option. Cool water, warm sun--get the sunblock on, kick back, and enjoy the ride.

Shichahai

The centerpiece of the best-preserved area of Old Beijing, this is the place for boating in the evening. Best of all is to take a group of friends, hire a barge near the south-west corner of the lake, then row North into the larger Houhai Lake while a young lady plays traditional Chinese music and you light candles to float in your wake. It's a beautiful sight after sunset.

Yuan Ming Yuan

A vast expanse of water set in the elegantly dilapidated grounds of the Old Summer Palace, destroyed by Anglo-French forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. There's so much space here you can lose the crowds, no matter how big they are. There are also some interesting little byways among the canals that connect the main lakes--a smattering of young lovers and hopeful fellows with fishing rods tend to populate these areas.

Summer Palace

Everything Yuan Ming Yuan isn't--well-ordered, well-preserved, with the lovely Longevity Hill rising high above the North shore of Kunming Lake. To find some peace and quiet here, head for the West bank, across which are stretches of park and water that have been left to run virtually wild. This was a favorite haunt of Emperor Qianlong, who hunted in the hills just north-west of here. Empress Dowager Cixi restored the park and built some of the more garish attractions (notably the Marble Boat at the north-west corner of Kunming Lake) at the end of the 19th century.

Beihai Park

Another enormous expanse of water to enjoy here, with the striking White Dagoba in the center atop Qionghua Dao (Jade Island), a hill formed from the earth excavated to create the lake in the 13th century. The park itself tends to be crawling with people, but has interesting nooks and crannies that escape the notice of the masses. This is a place that rewards exploration.