Chaoyang Park

Chaoyang Park in northeast Beijing is the largest inner-city park in the Chinese capital at 288.7 hectares, occupying the grounds of a former prince's palace. Laid out from 1984 and expanded through the 2000s, it is nearly the size of New York's Central Park. Roughly a quarter of its area is artificial lakes with paddle-boat rentals, alongside beach volleyball courts, an amusement park with roller coasters, and summer pop festivals. Beijing families come on weekends to fly kites, while older locals practise tai chi in the shaded pavilions at dawn. The park anchors the modern diplomatic district as its main green lung.