A Relaxing Day in Beijing: Summer Palace and a Little Shopping
After two days of hiking in the mountains of Zhangjiajie, our legs were already tired and sore. So for our last day in Beijing, we decided to keep things simple.
Instead of rushing around the city trying to see everything, we only planned to visit one major attraction — the Summer Palace — and spend the rest of the day shopping before flying home the next day.
To make things easier, we chose to use taxis for all our transportation that day. It gave us the flexibility to move around at our own pace without worrying about navigating the subway.
The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, known in Chinese as Yiheyuan (颐和园), is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. It is considered one of the four famous imperial gardens, together with:
- Chengde Mountain Resort (Chengde Summer Palace)
- Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou
- Lingering Garden in Suzhou
The Summer Palace was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.
Located in Haidian District, about 15 km northwest of central Beijing, the Summer Palace covers an impressive 290 hectares, with Kunming Lake occupying roughly three quarters of the entire area.
The garden was designed around two main features:
- Kunming Lake
- Longevity Hill
The landscape design was inspired by the famous West Lake in Hangzhou, incorporating classical southern Chinese garden aesthetics into a grand imperial setting.
With its harmonious blend of architecture, landscaped gardens, lakes, and pavilions, the Summer Palace is often described as a museum of traditional Chinese garden design.
Another spontaneous yoga session during our travels.
Traveling with friends who are also yoga lovers sometimes leads to these little moments.
A Stroll Around the Gardens
The gardens around the palace are peaceful and beautifully maintained.
Walking along the lakeside paths with views of the traditional pavilions and bridges felt like stepping back in time to the era of the Qing Dynasty emperors, who once used the palace as their summer retreat.
Tiananmen Square and Some Shopping
After visiting the Summer Palace, we took a taxi to Tiananmen Square to do a bit of shopping and wander around the area.
Beijing is such a vast city that moving around by taxi felt much easier after the intense walking we had done in Zhangjiajie.
One Last Dinner in Beijing
For dinner, we found a Halal La Mian restaurant within walking distance from our hotel.
It was the perfect way to end the trip — enjoying a comforting bowl of hand-pulled noodles before heading back to pack for our flight the next day.
Goodbye China
And just like that, our short getaway to China came to an end.
From the surreal landscapes of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, to the thrilling Glass Bridge, the dramatic cliffs of Tianmen Mountain, and finally a relaxing day in Beijing, this trip turned out to be a wonderful mix of adventure and culture.
Practical Tips for Visiting Zhangjiajie and Beijing
If you are planning a similar trip combining Zhangjiajie and Beijing, here are a few practical tips based on our experience.
1. Plan at Least 3–4 Days for Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is much larger than most people expect. Ideally, you should spend at least three days exploring the area.
A good itinerary could look like this:
Day 1 – Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Avatar Mountains)
Day 2 – Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
Day 3 – Tianmen Mountain
Trying to squeeze everything into one or two days can be quite exhausting.
2. Download Useful Apps Before Arriving in China
Many common apps are restricted in mainland China, including:
- Google Maps
Before traveling, it is helpful to download apps such as:
- WeChat – widely used for messaging and payments
- Baidu Maps – the Chinese alternative to Google Maps
- Baidu Translate – very useful for communicating with locals
These apps helped us tremendously during our trip.
3. Expect a Language Barrier
English is not widely spoken outside major international hotels.
We communicated with drivers, restaurant owners, and even some shopkeepers using translation apps. Surprisingly, this worked very well and made traveling around much easier than we expected.
4. Prepare for a Lot of Walking
Zhangjiajie involves a lot of walking and hiking.
Even though there are cable cars, elevators, buses, and escalators, you will still end up walking several kilometers each day.
Bring:
- comfortable walking shoes
- a small backpack
- water and snacks
Your legs will definitely feel it by the end of the day!
5. Buy Attraction Tickets in Advance
Some attractions in Zhangjiajie, especially the Glass Bridge and Tianmen Mountain cable car, operate with timed entry tickets.
During peak seasons, tickets can sell out quickly. Booking through a local travel agent or official platforms can save a lot of time.
Final Thoughts on Our China Girls’ Trip
This trip started simply as a work trip to Beijing, but it quickly turned into an unforgettable adventure with friends.
From the Avatar-like mountains of Zhangjiajie, to walking across the world-famous glass bridge, climbing the Stairway to Heaven at Tianmen Mountain, and finally relaxing at the Summer Palace in Beijing, every part of the journey felt unique.
Traveling with friends always adds another layer of fun — especially when you unexpectedly end up doing yoga poses on top of mountains and glass bridges.
China surprised us in many ways, and Zhangjiajie in particular felt like stepping into another world.
Hopefully this won’t be our last trip here.
