Nevermind that smoggy weather accounted for a better portion of the recent weeklong National Day holiday, people’s desire to go outside and explore remained just as strong as ever.

In Beijing, 11 municipal parks received 3.7 million visitors in 7 days, among which the China Garden Museum attracted 100,000. The peak day of this year's golden week was October 3, when the number of visitors reached 740,000, setting a new single-day attendance record for Beijing’s municipal parks.

On October 7, the Municipal Park Management Center listed the top 10 most popular parks, which were evaluated during Golden Week. The Summer Palace topped the list for its natural beauty and the fact that it was the teporary home to the acclaimed Giant Rubber Duck, which has been making the rounds this year throughout China’s premiere cities.

At the same time, this year saw new changes as parks located near bus or subway stations became hotspots, which can be credited to Beijing’s better developed public transport system and people’s increased awareness of environmental protection.

Beijing's top 10 scenic spots (Based on the number of visitors during this year's golden week]

1 The Summer Palace

[Photo/Xinhua]

2 The Temple of Heaven

[Photo by Jia Yue for Chinadaily.com.cn]