Beihai Park

Beihai Park is located in the central area of Beijing at the west of Jingshan in the city and at the northwest of Imperial Palace, and together with the Central Sea and the South Sea is called the Three Sea. Beihai Park is one of the imperial gardens, centered with Beihai and covering an area of about 71 hectares including 583 mu (38.8861 hectares) water area and 480 mu (32.016 hectares) land. Originally built as a detached palace in Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasty and as an emperors’ imperial garden in Ming and Qing dynasty, Beihai Park is one of the oldest and most comprehensive and representative imperial gardens in China that has opened to the outside world as a public park in 1925, and it is the best-preserved one as well.

Construction and History

With the unique pavilions and winding corridors, Beihai Park is designed according to the peculiar geographical layout of “One Big Pool with Three Hills” in the Chinese myth (Taiye Pool, Penglai, Fangzhang and Yingzhou) and successful in creating an artistic conception of rich colorfulness to inspire your imagination as you place yourself among the picturesque scenery of the broader lakes with reflections of towers on the surface, the green pines and verdant cypresses, the various flowers and trees with fragrance, the pavilions, terraces, towers and the rockery settings with caverns. All of these are so gorgeous and colorful that makes you feel like you are wondering around in fairyland. On the Jade Islet is a 67 meter’s tall Tibetan White Dagoba (built in 1651), besides there are the Spring Shade Over Qiong Islet upon which Qianlong Emperor inscribed “one of the Eight Great Scenes of Ancient Yanjing,” and some artificial hills and caves, etc. At the northeast coast are some constructions of the Painted Boat Studio, the Pavilion of Quiet Meditation, the Tranquil Heart Studio, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and the Five-Dragon Pavilions, etc. At the south of Beihai Park on the brink is Beihai Circular City standing there with green pines and verdant cypresses in which the delicate shaped Hall of Receiving Light was shielded. Beihai Park was an entertainment place for the emperors, and amongst the Nine-Dragon Screen, it is the most famous scenic spot.

Beihai Park is the masterpiece of Chinese historical gardens. Mainly composed of the Qionghua Island, the Eastern Scenic Area, and the Northern Scenic Area, the whole park covers an area of 69 hectares, 39 hectares of which is water. Amongst those scenic spots, the Qionghua Island is famous for its lush and verdant trees, well-proportioned palaces placed side by side like the teeth of the comb, and most of all the White Dagoba towering aloft on the top, which has become the mark of Beihai Park. Numerous famous scenic spots such as Haopujian, Painted Boat Studio, Tranquil Heart Studio, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Fast Snow Hall, Nine-Dragon Screen, Five-Dragon Pavilions, and Minor Western Paradise are set off by the weeping willows around the lakes, with different points of charm and attraction, making this splendid imperial garden of both a liberal northern park and a graceful southern private garden. Combined with the magnificence of the emperors’ palatial garden and solemn atmosphere of a religious temple, diverse and unified in many changeful prospects, Beihai Park is definitely an artistic treasure of Chinese gardens.

Best Touring Route:

Full day tour: Tuancheng-Puandian-Yuexindian-White Pagoda-Jingxinzhai-Nine Dragon Wall-Five Dragon Pavilion-Little Xitian-Seeing Qiongdao on West Bank

Half day tour: Tuancheng-Puandian-Yuexinzhai-White Pagoda-Ferry Boat-Five Dragon Pavilion-Little Xitian-Nine Dragon Wall-Jingxinzhai

Best Touring Time: April to October

Touring Time: about 2 hours