Beihai Park
National Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit; One Of The Oldest And Best Preserved Imperial Gardens In China · Beijing, Beijing
An imperial pleasure garden immediately north-west of the Forbidden City, and one of the oldest and most complete anywhere in China - a lake dug, an island built and a court laid out around them across roughly a thousand years, from the Liao dynasty through the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing. Kublai Khan ruled his capital from here before the Forbidden City existed, and the hill at the centre of Qionghua Island is said to be made from the spoil of the lake, dressed with Taihu rocks carried from the south. The White Dagoba on its summit, a bulbous Tibetan-style stupa put up in 1651 for a visit by the fifth Dalai Lama, is the shape everyone recognises. Around the shore are the Nine Dragon Screen in glazed tile, the Round City with its great jade bowl given to Kublai Khan, covered walkways, a Qing teahouse and gardens within gardens. In summer the lake is full of rowing boats and lotus; in winter Beijingers skate on it. Entry is cheap but booking is compulsory.
1 Wenjin Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, Beijing, Beijing, China
Daily; peak season (1 April to 31 October) gates 6:00 with last entry 20:30 and closing 21:00, pavilions 8:00 with last entry 17:30 and closing 18:00. Off-season gates 6:30-20:00 (last entry 19:30) and pavilions 8:30-17:00. Boats 8:30-17:00, ticket sales to 16:00. Booking compulsory 1-7 days ahead.