7 Places to Visit in Beijing in July

Beihai Park located in central Beijing is the earliest and best-preserved royal garden in China. The park also has a large area of water, where in July is covered by beautiful lotus flowers, so it is listed as one of the top things to do in Beijing in July. Visitors can enter from the south gate and explore along Nan Xiaohai to watch lotus. Located on the southeast side of Beihai Park, Nan Xiaohai is the largest and most representative lotus pond in it, attracting countless photographers and painting enthusiasts to enjoy. At both north and south ends of the Nan Xiaohai, there is a boat pier, so visitors can either walk around the pond to enjoy the lotus, or choose to rent a boat to cruise through the lotus pond. 

Capital Museum is also one of the best places to visit in Beijing in July. You can acquire a lot of knowledge and understand Chinese culture while avoiding the summer heat outside. The Capital Museum has seven floors, divided into two exhibition areas. The eastern exhibition area is a circular exhibition area, where people can watch the film introducing the city. The western exhibition area is an important part of the museum, in which visitors can appreciate folk customs, porcelain, and Buddhist culture. The museum also contains a restaurant, coffee shop, tea room, souvenir shop, bookstore, ATM, etc.

Lianhuachi Park, or Lotus Pool Park is said to be the birthplace of Beijing with a history of more than 3,000 years. It is named so for the wide area of lotus plants since ancient times. Every year in July, the lotus flowers come into full blossom one after another, forming picturesque scenery. The Lotus Festival is also held during this time, for visitors to take part in various flower-themed activities. So a trip to Lotus Pond Park has been one of the top things to do in Beijing in July.

Although less than 1,000 m (1,100 yd) long, there is a series of restaurants and snack booths providing Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hunan delicacies including hot pot, barbecue and many snacks. It is best known for spicy crayfish, bullfrogs and grilled fish. After the day’s sightseeing, it is one of the good places to visit in Beijing in July to satisfy your taste bud.

If you travel to Beijing in July and want to avoid summer heat, Beidaihe by the sea with cool climate is a good choice. Located 300 km (186 mile) east to Beijing and about 2 hours’ high speed train ride away, it is one of China's largest leisure bases. There are more than 40 scenic spots, such as Lianfeng Mountain, Dove Nest Park. It is also one of the world's most famous bird-watching resorts with 451 species of birds, known as "the Mecca of birdwatching." There are many soft beaches along the Beidaihe where you can go swimming, walk, or experience a sand slide.

If you don’t know what to do in Beijing in July, it is recommended to make a side trip to Mountain Resort of Chengde (Bishu Shanzhuang), which is about 230 km (142 mile) away. Surrounded by mountains, it is cool in summer and was the summer resort for emperors in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). It is composed of the Emperor's Palace and Garden, divided into the palace area, the lake area, the mountains, and the plain area, of which the palace area and the lake area are the essence of the summer resort. The park has 28 different sizes of Mongolian yurts, and the Royal Library of Wenjinge, Yongyou Temple, Chunhao Building, and other architectures are very worth visiting.

Located in Fangshan District, about 55 km (34 mile) southwest to Beijing city center, Stone Flower Cave is a good place to visit in Beijing in July. Because the temperature in it is kept at 13 ℃ (55.4 ℉) all year round, making it a great place to spend the summer vacation. The stalagmites in the cave are diverse and rare. Together with colored lights, they form a fantastic fairyland, perfect for viewing and photography. The cave has seven floors and 16 halls, while the area currently open to visitors is one to four floors, with more than 100 spots.