Getting to know all of China's diverse ethnic groups requires time and resources which many tourists simply don't have. Thankfully, the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park near Beijing's Olympic Stadium offers a quick solution for curious visitors, both Chinese and foreign.

"China is huge, we have 56 ethnic nationalities; maybe we're not so familiar with one another," says Annie Cheng, a China International Travel Service (CITS) tour guide accompanying an American couple on a tour of the park. "I think that as more people visit here, the unity between our country's peoples will become stronger and stronger."

The 50 hectare Chinese Ethnic Culture Park isn't overflowing with tourists, like other landmarks such as the Forbidden City, but American tourist Steve Letnaunchyn says that's not a bad thing. "Compared to the other places we've visited in Beijing, this is very quiet, very soothing," he says. "There's no rush."

Indeed, the atmosphere in the garden is decidedly relaxed, with visitors free to wander along the trail that winds through 56 ethnic "villages," each showcasing a different ethnic group's way of life. To the left of the park's entrance, guests begin their tour by climbing a trail through a rocky mountain inspired by the Tibetan plateau. At the end of the mountain trail, a mini-Potala palace awaits them, followed by a stroll through a colorful village.

The trail continues to amble through the park, over hills and streams, recreating the natural environment of each ethnic culture. The Gaoshan village is situated on a hilltop near a brook, recreating the mountain landscape typically inhabited by the Gaoshan people on Taiwan Island. Elsewhere, visitors can climb a huge stone structure, allowing them to enter the imperial world of the Manchu.