An ancient Chinese beauty

Beijing

You can smell the roses as the mountain breezes cool off the city heat off your back. The climb up to Miaofengshan's famous Rose Valley may be long and winding but persevere, and you'll soon be rewarded with the scent of a thousand blooms.

The roses have been on the mountain for at least a thousand years, the farmers tell us. And the rose-petal jam made here was sent into the Forbidden City as tribute to the Empress Dowager, who was especially fond of little pastries made with the conserve.