TRAVELING IN STYLE : Correspondents’ Choice : PICNIC PICKS

Five Times correspondents from around the world describe their favorite picnic spots in (or just outside) the cities they have covered. BEIJING

WHEN YOU FIRST LOOK AROUND BEIJING, THE IDEA OF HAVING a picnic here seems absurd. This is a city where concrete, not grass, is the surface of choice. One of the few open spaces is Tian An Men Square. The most prominent shade of green is that of the People’s Liberation Army uniform. There is, however, one romantic place to picnic near, if not quite in, Beijing, and it happens to be one of the area’s main tourist destinations: the Ming Tombs.

The Ming tombs are about 15 miles northwest of Beijing, set in a valley protected by lovely, gentle hills rising in the distance. The tour buses approach the 13 tombs along the Spirit Road and head straight for the excavated and restored Chang-ling and Ding-ling tombs. If you veer off the main road to the left, though, just before it comes to the Chang-ling and follow the winding, smaller road through fields and apple groves, you will reach the unexcavated, rarely visited tombs of other Ming emperors. Each one is a separate walled compound, with an enclosed courtyard and an enormous artificial hill. Walk through the front gate of the tomb of your choice into an atmosphere of serenity, tranquillity and timelessness. Bring a blanket or folding table; for food, you’ll probably have to rely on the wine, cheese and bread that are sold at Beijing’s modern hotels.