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Beihai Park

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The Beihai park in the center of Beijing has an area of more than 70 hectares with a water surface of 39 hectares. To its north is Shishahai Lake and to its east is Jingshan Park. The Palace Museum is to its southeast, a short distance.

The imperial court of the Liao Dynasty a temporary palace on the site of present Beihai Park in the 10th century. During the following Jin Dynasty a lake was dug. The excavated earth was piled to make a hill. Around the lake and on the hill palatial halls, corridors and pavilions were erected. The imperial court of the Yuan Dynasty which came after the Jin expanded Jionghua Islet in the lake and made it the center of its capital Dadu City.

During the Ming Dynasty five pavilions linked with zigzag bridges were built in the northwestern part of the lake. During the region of Emperor Qian Long (1736-1796) a large-scale project was carried on over 30 years, making the palace a grand imperial garden.

Beihai Park is composed of Tuancheng (Circulate City), Jionghua Islet, Eastern Shore Scenic Area and Northwestern Shore Scenic Area, with Jionghua Islet as the center. The small island is connected with other parts by a stone bridge and ferry boats.

Bus No. 101, 103, 10, 812, 814 and 846 pass the south gate of the park, Bus No. 107, 111, 118, 701 and 823 go to the north gate of the park and No. 5 to the east gate of the park.

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Tips & articles

2011-05-23
The Nine-Dragon Screen is localted in the downtown of Datong. Nine Dragon Screen, or Jiulongbi, was built in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in front of the residence of Zhu Guidai, the thirteenth son of the first Ming Dynasty em peror, Zhu Yuanzhang. The ...Read More
2011-05-23
Beihai Park, one of the oldest and best-preserved imperial gardens, is located in the center of Beijing, and is very close to the famous Forbidden City. Beihai Park boasts a history dating back more than a millenium and existed throughout the dynasties of Liao...Read More
2011-05-23
Prince Gong's Mansion or Prince Gong's Residence (Chinese: Gong Wang Fu) is one of the largest private residence compounds in Beijing, with a nine-courtyard layout and gardens, high walls and elaborate gardens, occupies more than 60,000 square meters. The ...Read More

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Recent posts

by Tryphena 2011-05-23
Beihai Park (North Sea Park), approached by four gates and just north-west of the Forbidden City, is the former pleasure ground of the Emperors. It is now one of the oldest and most authentically protected imperial gardens in China. The park covers an area of 71.4 hectares, half of which is a lake. The island in the lower middle is composed of heaped earth ...
by Erik 2011-05-23
Located at the center of the city of Datong, by far the most magnificent Screens in China, Nine Dragon Screen was originally part of the gate to the mansion of Prince Hongwu, the 13th son of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). As a symbol of the ancient emperors of China, the dragons were depicted fighting and frolicking in the clouds above ...
by Ajitabh 2011-05-23
The Miaoying Monastery is situated on the north side of Fuchengmennei Street in Xicheng District of Beijing. The White Dagoba in the monastery was first built in 1096 of the Liao Dynasty and was considerably expanded and elaborately redecorated in 1271 during the reign of Emperor Shizu (Kubla Khan) of the Yuan Dynasty. A passage from Chats of a Visitor to ...