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Forbidden City Music HallvsSummer Palace (Yiheyuan)
Both Forbidden City Music Hall and Summer Palace are highly recommended by reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Summer Palace scores significantly better than Forbidden City Music Hall. Summer Palace is ranked #1 in Beijing with accolades from 7 sources such as Fodor's, Concierge and Travel + Leisure.
Forbidden City Music Hall
Concierge
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
Afar Magazine
Inside Zhongshan Garden, West Changan Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
From $0/night
Concierge "Built during the Ming dynasty by 200,000 laborers and completed in 1422, this grandiose palace sits at the heart of the modern-day capital city."
Travel + Leisure "It doesn’t have a street address—which is only fitting for a place that was once considered the center of the universe." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"This extraordinary urban complex of 800 palaces, temples and pavilions containing some 9 000 rooms presents a huge challenge for the millions of tourists."
Afar Magazine "The Forbidden City has nearly 1,000 buildings spread across 72 hectares (178 acres), making it the world's largest palace complex." Full review
Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)
Fodor's Concierge Travel + Leisure Michelin Guide Travel + Leisure Afar Magazine
Lonely Planet
19 Xin-jian-gong-men Rd, Haidian District, Beijing 100084
From $0/night
Fodor's "The greenery provides a welcome relief from the loud, bustling city. It also teaches a fabulous history lesson." Full review
Concierge "Once a warm-weather retreat for the Qing dynasty's imperial court, the Summer Palace... is a lovely place to escape the urban smog."
i
Arrive early to avoid crowds, or dodge them with a stroll around the water, as the Qing Empress Dowager Cixi might have done in the 19th century.
Travel + Leisure "It must have been quite a schlep for emperors of old—who traveled in slow-moving palanquins along with hundreds of courtiers to get to this beautiful, serene lakeside palace." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"This summer palace was restored at great expense at the end of the 19C by the empress Cixi."
i
This enchanting site... should not to be missed.
Travel + Leisure "Considered a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design, visitors can avoid the crowds by packing a picnic, renting a boat, and exploring some of the lesser-known halls and pavilions." Full review
Afar Magazine "China's largest royal park was once called the Garden of Cultivated Harmony." Full review
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"This former playground for emperors fleeing the suffocating summer torpor of the old imperial city easily merits an entire day’s exploration." Full review
