The beautiful LaoJunShan 老君山 mountain and temple, HeNan province

Despite its northern location, Beijing, the blue sky city, is one of the sunniest places in China and, in summer, also one of the hottest. Although around 1,000 miles north of Shanghai, and some 2,000 miles north of Hong Kong and tropical Hainan, Beijing is hotter through the summer months (mid-may to mid-September).

Some highlights from the five hour CCTV spectacular - the best ever ! From BeiJing, ShangHai, YangShuo and Harbin ...

The three lakes here - XiHai, HouHai and QianHai - were where boats from HangZhou would dock after travelling the Grand Canal. There are still some hutongs in this area, just north of BeiHai Park, which has become a lively destination, especially in the evenings around the lakes.

Part 1 : BeiHai Park, the Beijing Botanical Garden, the Confucius Temple, Ditan Park, the Minorities Ethnic Culture Park (Minzu), the Forbidden City, the Great Wall (at Badaling), JingShan Park, ZhongShan Park Part 2 : the Temple of Heaven, Tian'AnMen Square, QianMen, the Birds Nest national stadium, QianHai, PanJiaYuan, LiuYin Park, QingNianHu Park, RiTan Park, LianHuaChi Park, LongTan Park, NanLuoGuXiang and the Beijing Botanical Garden Part 3 : the Summer Palace, YuanMingYuan, XiangShan Park, TuanJieHu Park, XuanWu Park, Yuan Dynasty DaDa City Wall Park, YongHeGong Lama Temple and ZhongGuanCun, XiDan, CBD, ChongWenMen New World Center ice rink

And JingShan Park. Filmed in early summer, 2012.

An indoor garden lifestyle, in BeiJing ...

Beautiful. Traditional Chinese craftsmanship ...

YinChuan, 'Silver River', lies in NingXia province, central - north China. It is located near the western bank of the upper course of the Yellow River, in the south-central section of the HeLan Shan mountains and the Ordos Desert. Thanks to the Yellow River, YinChuan enjoys beautiful natural scenery and favorable conditions for agriculture and has long earned the fame of a "River Side City in the Northwest" and "Home to Fishes and Rice".

Bonus films - how to get to JinShanLing Great Wall, one of the most beautiful sections near BeiJing (well, about 3 hours away) by bus (cheaper than a coach tour) ... If you have 3 or 4 days spare, also check out ChengDe Imperial Summer Resort, a bit further in the same direction from BeiJing.

The Giant Buddha, which is around 70 meters in height, was carved out from the hill during the Tang dynasty (618–907). It took 90 years to complete. The LeShan Giant Buddha is part of the Mount Emei Scenic Area, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area has exceptionally diverse vegetation, ranging from subtropical to sub-alpine pine forests.

AnHui, 安徽, lies in East China, just to the west of JiangSu province and ShangHai, and noted for its cuisine and materials related to calligraphy (paper and inkstone). Tourist destinations include HuangShan mountain, HongCun and XiDi ancient villages, Chao Lake, TaiJi Cave, ZhenFeng Pagoda and ZuiWeng Pavilion.