Beihai Park, in central Beijing, is a delight to visit any time of the year. As Beijing’s most popular park, people ice skate on the lake in winter and stroll around it in the spring when the trees are in blossom. Its Tibetan-style White Dagoba Temple on Qionghua Island is a landmark in Beijing. Because it’s so close to the Forbidden City, the park was once a royal playground. Weekend mornings are a good time to visit, as the Chinese turn out to dance, sing karaoke or Peking opera, play badminton or perform in string quartets. It is a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment.