Grand View Garden.[Photo by Bao Xinguo/ebeijing.gov.cn]

At a temple fair in the Grand View Garden, an episode from the Chinese novel, A Dream of Red Mansions, is on stage.[Photo by Zou Weilin/ebeijing.gov.cn]

Before visiting the Grand View Garden, a visitor should read the 18th-century classic Chinese novel, A Dream of Red Mansions, by Cao Xueqin. The garden area was designed and built in the 1980s as a set for some of the country’s most successful television productions.

The Chinese name for the garden is Daguanyuan, which is located in Xuanwu District. The area is a quiet getaway to walk and relive the novel. Many paths lead you around the lake.

Address: 12 Nancaiyuan Jie, Xicheng District

Tel: +86 10 6354 4994

Open: 8:30 am-5:30 pm

Admission: 40 yuan

Traffic: Bus Nos 59, 56, 395, 112 and 351