There is also the Summer Palace, a massive imperial garden built in the 18th century that is on the outskirts of the city.

CNN: April 10, 2012 -- Updated 1353 GMT (2153 HKT)

At the northern end of the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden, a classical Chinese garden with 7, 000 sq metres of fine landscaping, including rockeries, walkways, pavilions and ancient - carbuncular and deformed - cypresses.

BBC: Beijing's once Forbidden City

This landscaped garden, which is said to have been ordered by his imperial majesty as a gift to the Empress Shoken, contains more than 100 varieties of the elegant iris.

CNN: The Best City Park