Beihai Park in Beijing is not only a great place to relax and have fun, it is also steeped in history.

Various important buildings have been located in the area, including a secondary imperial residence for the Liao Dynasty in the 10th century AD and the Guanghandian, or Palace of the Moon, where Kublai Khan once lived and met Marco Polo.

The design of the park is based on a Chinese legend, which said that the gods lived on three islands in the middle of the sea, and on those islands was a herb that could grant eternal life.

Many parks in China have been built in this way, as emperors throughout the country's history have sought to mimic the gods' islands in an attempt at immortality.

Opened to 'mere mortals' - the general public - in 1925, the park is now one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions.

Sights worth seeing include the White Dagoba, a tower built on the location of the Palace of the Moon.

A Buddhist place of worship, the tower contains various scriptures, statues and other valuables.

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