Beihai Park

Beihai Park is one of the oldest and best preserved ancient imperial gardens located in the core of Beijing, which was first built about 1000 years ago during the Liao Dynasty and extended in the dynasties following. Most of the constructions were built during Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign. Most people're attracted to visit Beihai Park because of its renowned White Dagoba on the Jade Flowery Islet (Qionghua Islet) when travel to Beijing or even when they are doing a tour nearby. Beihai Park is an exhibition of traditional Chinese garden-sculpting and a typical imperial garden designed according to the philosophy of "One Pool and Three Hills" with the three hills being "Penglai", "Yingzhou" and "Fangzhang" where immortals dwelling to the east of Bohai Bay. In the dynastic China, almost every dynasty would built a royal garden in this theory because emperors believed that immortals living on the three hills had magic medicine to make humans possess immortality.

The Park was first opened to the public in 1925, then it was placed under State Council protection in 1961 as one of the most important cultural sites. Beihai Park covers an area of 69 hectares with the lake occupying 39 hectares, more than a half of its toral size. The main complexes are composed of Qionghua Islet, Circular City, North and East shore area, and Arboretum. The Circular City is connected by Yong'an Bridge leading its way to the north with Qionghua Islet. The White Dagoba is a 40 meters highTibetan style sutpa on the islet, of which the body is made of white stone. The indepentent Haopujian along the east shore was for the emperors to watch fish and treat his high court officials, while the Huafangzhai was the emperor's residence and his studio. Along the north shore are Five Dragon Pavilions, Jinxinzhai and Xiaoxitian.

The most famous spot in Beihai Park is the Nine-Dragon Screen which is very unique and one of the three in China with he other two in the Forbidden City and Datong. The screen is 6.65 meters high, 1.42 meters thich and 25.86 meters long, built 424 glazed color bricks. On each side of the screen there are nine huge exquisite dragon rilievos and other small ones all over the screen, which makes the total number of the dragons 635. Five Dragon Pavilions are five pavilions jointed together by bridges along the west shore of the Beihai Park. Xiaoxitian is a group of buildings which was built during emperor Qianlong's reign for his mother's birthday. Jingxinzhai is an independent yard where the emperor used to live occassionally. Here's some guide information of Beijing Beihai Park