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Mutt
Mutt
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Editor Pick

Jingshan Park

  • January 5, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Mutt from Ankara, Turkey
Jingshan Park

At the northern edge of the Imperial City stands this artificial hill that offers unparalleled views over the Imperial Palace and across the rest of Beijing's Inner City.

The 230km2 Jingshan Park (daily 06:00-19:00, ¥2) dates back to the Liao (907-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties when it was the sight of the imperial winter residence. It was turned into a royal park during the Yuan (1206-1368) dynasty with a mighty artificial hill of earth dug-up from the moat and the expansion of the lake figuratively and physically burying the palaces of the previous dynasties. In 1420 during the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty the 5-peaked hill was expanded and became known as Maishan (Coal Hill) after the fuel that was stored at its foot.

The hill now known as Jingshan (Prospect Hill) is the highest point in the city and conforms to strict fengshui principles protecting the palace from the bitter northern winds and the evil spirits of the Black Warrior that live beyond. The hills protection of the emperor ultimately failed as we shall see later and following the eventual departure of the last Emperor Puyi (1906-67) the park was opened to public in 1928 and renovated in 1949 into one of China’s AAAA rated attractions.

At the foot of the hill stands the double-layered Qiwanglou (Beautiful View Pavilion) where emperors would once pay homage at the memorial tablet of Confucius and now home to regularly rotating displays of painting, calligraphy and porcelain. From here you can follow the path around to the east where you will see the place where, following the capture of the city by Li Zicheng and his peasant army, the last Ming Emperor Chongzhen (1611-44) fled to hang himself from an ancient scholar tree. The original tree was uprooted during the Cultural Revolution but a replacement has since been planted in its place to mark the spot.

From here a small path winds up the hill to Wanchun (Everlasting Spring Pavilion) on the summit where a bronze Buddha gazes out over the Forbidden City. The auxiliary pavilions on the lesser four peaks also once held smaller bronze Buddhas but these were sadly looted by the Eight-Nation Alliance during the repression of the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901). At the rear of the complex is the Shouhuang (Imperial Longevity Hall) now home to the Beijing Children’s Palace where local children enjoy extracurricular education in cultural activities of dancing, singing, music and art.

The park makes a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle below and offers magnificent views across the city making it an excellent way to end a trip to the Palace Museum.

From journal Beijing’s Imperial City: Beyond the Palace Walls

Editor Pick

Beihai Park

  • January 5, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Mutt from Ankara, Turkey
Beihai Park

Drawing people in with it’s curiously shaped white beacon that dominates the city skyline this pleasant little park has been the city’s playground for over a millennia.

Behai (North Lake) sat on the very outskirts of the ancient Chinese capital of Yanjing and was a resort for the emperors of the Liao (907-1125) dynasty. The Jin (1115-1234) dynasty incorporated it into the grounds of their summer villa at nearby Jingshan Park and built a pleasure palace called Guanghandian (Palace of the Moon) on Qionghua (Jade Islet) in the middle of the lake. After Kublai Khan (1215-1294) swept the Yuan (1206-1368) dynasty to power he decided to make his new capital Dadu here shifting the focus of the ancient city and the Jin’s pleasure palace became his ceremonial hall.

The lake continued to serve as a Imperial pleasure ground during the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty and they built the mighty Tuancheng (Round City) (daily 9:00-16:00, ¥5) that encloses the ancient Jin pine grove on the southern shore. Inside you will find enshrined an exquisite 1.6m-tall white jade Buddha that was a gift to Emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) from the Cambodian King Norodom (1834-1904) and the ornately carved Jade Urn used by Kublai Khan himself for ceremonial toasts at his ancient hall atop Qionghua.

In 1651, following the succession of the Qing (1644-1911) dynasty Emperor Shunzhi (1638-61), gave the park it’s most distinguishing feature by building White Dagoba Temple (daily 9:00-16:00, ¥5) on the site of Guanghandian on the summit of Qionghua. The 36m-high shinning white Dagoba built to honour the visit of the 5th Dalai Lama Lozang Gyatso (1617-1682), and rebuilt after earthquakes in 1679 and 1976, still stands out to this day as a shining beacon over the city. The islet is reached from the southern entrance over a magnificent marble bridge.

Many further Qing dynasty building crowd the north shore of the lake where the emperors would kick back for a spot of fishing from the gorgeous Wulongting (Five Dragon Pavilions), enjoy the seclusion of the park within the park at Jingxinzhai (Tranquil Heart Study), or simply admire the magnificent Ming Jiulongbi (Nine Dragon Wall) one of only three left in the country (the others are in Datong and Pingyao in Sha’anxi Province). Opened to the public in 1925 as Behai Park (daily 6:30-20:00, ¥10) recreations now on offer include boating in the summer and skating in the winter.

A fabulous little place to visit at any time of year although the crowds make it harder to find peace than during imperial times it’s still there if you look for it.

From journal Beijing’s Imperial City: Beyond the Palace Walls

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