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.

Just outside Qianmen, Dashilan is one of Beijing’s oldest commercial streets, with a history of over 600 years. It used to be the busiest suburban market and remains full of character today. Some of Beijing’s oldest brand boutiques started here, alongside the city’s first cinema, and many are still operating. Walking the street gives a sense of everyday life beyond the imperial palaces, where locals have shopped, worked, and socialised for generations.

Las Catalinas is a new beach town developed in 2006 along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Its purpose is to create a way of life that is healthy, sustainable, fulfilling and fun. In practical terms, it means that Las Catalinas was founded based on the principles of New Urbanism — a compact, car-free and fully walkable town within easy reach of the beach. A maze of small shaded streets connects houses, shops, restaurants, small hotels and inns, pedestrian streets, plazas, parks, and recreational facilities — all surrounded by a lush rainforest. On the other side is the Pacific Ocean, where you'll find two of the finest beaches in all of Costa Rica with great swimming, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, boogie boarding, and snorkelling. Don't miss out on the opportunity to go diving next to the Las Catalinas islands!