Xiangshan has been a popular place to escape from urban life for centuries. It was an imperial hunting reserve before the Qing Emperor Qianlong transformed it into a landscaped park in the eighteenth century. Today's Beijingers seek refuge from the heat of summer on its cool slopes, and come in droves in autumn to enjoy the blaze of fire-red sycamore leaves that sweeps the park. The hill is also a popular means for local pensioners to keep in shape and prove they've still got what it takes -visitors can expect to see energetic old folk brushing past flabby youngsters on their way to the top, often by more direct routes than that offered by the winding footpath.

Not a great deal is left of the shrines and pavilions that were once strewn about the area. Many fell victim to the Anglo-French decision to spoil the emperor's fun in 1860 by knocking down his favorite holiday spots, and most of the remainder were finished off by the allied invasion force in 1900. Of those still standing, the most interesting is the tumble-down shell of the Luminous Temple (Zhaomiao), not far from the main gate of the park. For those unaware of the length and complexity of the relationship between the Chinese empire and Tibet, it may be instructive to come upon a Tibetan-style monastery building in a Beijing imperial park -Zhaomiao was built in honor of the sixth Panchen Lama's visit to the capital in 1780.

Just beyond the north gate is the entrance to Biyunsi -the Temple of the Azure Cloud. Lazy tourists can use the opportunity to get a bird's-eye view of its beautiful white-marble Diamond Throne Pagoda as an excuse to ride the cable car up Xiangshan. Although this temple is built in an Indian style, the walk up to it takes visitors through a series of typical Chinese halls dedicated to various deities. Disappointingly, the unique "500 Arhats Hall" is closed at the moment -only one door is open to allow a tantalizing glimpse of its life-size statues of the Buddha's disciples. And there really are 500 of them.

The other point of interest to Biyunsi (for some, at least) is the Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall. Sun was initially laid to rest here after his death in 1925, but his body was later moved to Nanjing. Lovers of historical quirks may enjoy reflecting on the coffin sent as a gift by the Soviet Union that arrived too late for his funeral, or the fact that the tomb at the entrance to the Diamond Throne Pagoda now contains Sun's suit rather than his earthly remains. Even Buddhist visitors, however, may find their lovingkindness tested by the tourist authorities' decision to trivialize this lovely temple complex by the addition of three young men in Friendly Cartoon Animal suits.

Xiangshan is not far north of the Summer Palace. Take bus 333 from the Summer Palace, 360 from the zoo, or 318 from Pingguoyuan (the last stop west on the central subway line). Or flag a taxi -probably 50-70 yuan from central Beijing, depending on traffic.