Once considered the most magnificent of China’s imperial gardens, Yuanmingyuan was filled with palaces, lakes, and pavilions, as well as rare plants and artworks collected from across the empire. It was destroyed in 1860 by British and French troops during the Second Opium War, and again suffered damage in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. What remains today are ruins — stone foundations, broken archways, and scattered carvings — set among lakes and quiet parkland.

This futuristic plaza is one of the most complex and ambitious construction projects ever undertaken in Australia, serving as Melbourne’s civic centre with cafés, restaurants, an amphitheater and several museums such as the Ian Potter Centre that showcases Australian art. There’s also a farmers market every Friday and a book market on Saturdays.

Built in the early 1400s, around the same time as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven was where emperors prayed for good harvests. The vast park contains several ceremonial buildings, the most striking being the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with its blue-tiled roof and intricate wooden ceiling. The original hall was destroyed by lightning in 1889 but rebuilt soon after. Other highlights include the Hall of Abstinence, where emperors fasted before rituals, and the Circular Mound Altar — a three-tiered marble platform symbolising heaven itself. Today, the park is as much about everyday life as it is about history: locals gather here in the mornings for tai chi, dancing, and music.

Located between Punta Rasa and Punta Caimanera, this tiny beach is a great place to get away from it all, precisely because it is so small. Besides being cosy, the Playa Las Conchas is also incredibly scenic and rarely crowded. Very nearby is the Talasotherapy Centre, where you can get all kinds of spa treatments to improve your health.