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One of the largest, best preserved royal parks lies in western Beijing; it's called the Summer Palace. It's the place where royals would go for a little rest and relaxation.
You have got to visit the Summer Palace if you come to Beijing. It is huge and beautiful, and was once the playground to China's emperors.
We talked to several visitors, and every one couldn't say enough about the Summer Palace. They say you simply have to go tour the palace if you ever visit Beijing.
Hundreds of years ago, this is where the royal family would relax and entertain. It was a gift from an emperor to his mother.
"Sixty years old and you got this as a gift, is that unbelievable?" asked visitor Mary Kay. "What did I get when I turned 60? You know, really."
It's over 700 acres, much of it water. That is where you'll find a marble boat. Instead of forming a Chinese Navy, one emperor chose to redirect funds to build it.
"This is super, and the history here, I'm amazed. In the United States this much history, China is just unbelievable," says George Kay.
There are over 3,000 structures in the Summer Palace, including a corridor, which is considered the longest in the world, and the Tower of Buddhist Incense.
The Palace took 50 years to complete and was open to the public in the early 1900s. It's been stunning visitors ever since.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
