Spend a day taking in the many interesting features of Beihai Park a former imperial garden to the North West of the Forbidden City. Originally built in the 10th century it underwent changes during successive dynasties and is now considered one of the largest and oldest of Chinese gardens. Spread out in 69 ha various park designers have based the features of the park on renowned scenic locations and garden structures from various parts of China, skillfully blending various types of garden design and architecture to create a harmonious classical Chinese garden.
A walk in the park will reveal many scenic locations and cultural treasures that include the 40 meter high white stone dagoba rising above the trees on the 32 meter hillock on Qionghua Island, five dragon pavilions built during the Ming Dynasty on the north bank of the park, the colourful glazed brick Nine Dragon Wall built in 1402, the Jingxin Room, a garden within a garden covering 4,000 square meters and the Hall of Received Light to the south east area of the park with a 1.6 meters tall white jade Buddha statue presented to emperor Guangxu by a Khmer king. Visitors may also wish to view a collection of jade jars from the Yuan era, 495 steles with inscriptions and walk among trees hundreds of years old under which visitors can get a respite from the summer heat. The construction of Beihai Park was apparently based on a legend and each of the additions that were made to the park over time was also based on legends.
Another way to see the park would be to rent a paddle boat and view it from the lake that covers 39 ha of the park. Beihai Park has been open to the public since 1925. New attractions have been added on from time to time to keep up with the demands of new generations. It is a popular place for Beijing residents to visit during summer to get away from the heat. In winter it becomes the city’s largest skating rink.
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