Beijing Parks: Greenery and Tranquility in the Metropolis

Beijing can sometimes seem a bustling city of gray buildings but in fact there is a surprising amount of green， tranquil parks in it to afford rest and relaxation to local residents and visitors to China’s capital.

There are over 300 parks to explore in Beijing， many of which were built by China’s past emperors. In ancient times， they were not open to the public and were used by emperors for sacrifices to gods or leisure activities. Nowadays， Beijing’s parks are a great place to relax， take the kids to play or watch the locals flying kites or practicing their morning tai-chi.

Now let’s look at some of the best parks in Beijing.

Beihai Park

Dating from the 10th century， Beihai Park is a classical Chinese garden and pleasure park of Emperors. Located near the Forbidden City， it is amongst the largest of Chinese gardens， with an area of more than 69 hectares. Beihai Park’s highlights include the Nine Dragon Screen， the Five Dragon Pavilion， the padoga， temples， pavilions of the Jade Island， and a lake that covers more than half of the entire Park. Beijingers come here to row or paddle on the lake， relax and stroll and maybe enjoy a snack or meal in one of the park’s cafes or restaurants.

Beihai literally means “Northern Sea”. There are also corresponding “Central” and“Southern Seas” (Zhongnanhai). The complex of buildings around Zhongnanhai houses China’s paramount leaders.

The Beihai Park， as with many of Chinese imperial gardens， was built to imitate renowned scenic spots and architecture from various regions of China. The Taihu Lake， the elaborate pavilions and canals in Hangzhou and Yangzhou， the delicate garden structures in Suzhou and others all served as inspirations for the design of the numerous sites in this imperial garden. The structures and scenes in the Beihai Park are described as masterpieces of gardening technique that reflects the style and the superb architectural skill and richness of traditional Chinese garden art.

Ritan Park

Built in the early sixteenth century， Ritan Park was originally a temple dedicated to the Sun god where Chinese emperors of the Qing (1644-1911) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties offered ritual offerings to the god of the Sun. Now it is a green refuge for adults and children alike near the Jianguomenwai embassy area in the heart of Beijing’s Central Business District.

Ritan Park has some great facilities for children: trampolines， inflatables and a merry-go-round as well as minigolf， a fishing pond and a number of bars and restaurants with outdoor terraces adjoining the park for more adult tastes.

Beijing Botanical Gardens

Beijing Botanical Gardens， in the north western suburbs of Beijing， at the foot of the West Hill are a relaxing， inexpensive place to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of big city life. Covering an area of 56.4 hectares， the gardens are home to 6，000 plant species including 500 kinds of flowers. They are particularly spectacular in spring， with their blossom-laden fruit trees， and in autumn， when the vivid reds， greens， browns and golds of the vegetation heralds the approach of winter. The gardens also contain a vast conservatory， historic temples and excellent picnic spots.

Grand View Garden

The Grand View Garden， built in 1988， is modeled on the garden described in the Chinese classical novel A Dream of Red Mansions， written by Cao Xueqin of the Qing Dynasty. As described in the book， the garden was built for the imperial concubine Jia Yuanchun， who settled her relatives down there. For more than two centuries， Chinese people read about the garden. Now they can vividly see scenes described in the book. There are five courtyards， three park areas， a Buddhist temple， rockeries and a large lake. Trees and flowers complete the picture. Tea is available at many of the small shops.

Badachu Park

This large， easily accessible park in Beijing’s western hills has for centuries offered a heady fix to devout Buddhists， temple junkies， hiking enthusiasts and fresh air fiends. Eight Buddhist temples and monasteries scattered in the park. The park is an attractive place to visit all year round. It has a pleasant temperate climate， remaining cool in summer and warm in winter. Visitors can stroll from one temple to another， enjoying the beautiful scenery and admiring the arbor and rare ancient trees. Some of these trees have been standing for over 6 centuries.

Tanzhe Temple

Forty-five kilometers west of Beijing， Tanzhe Temple is the largest and oldest temple in Beijing， whose history dates back to the Jin Dynasty， over 1，700 years ago. It is widely believed among the locals that the Tanzhe Temple was constructed earlier than the city of Beijing. Behind the temple there is a deep pond called the Dragon Pond and in front of the temple there grow some Zhe trees， therefore the temple is called the Tan(“tan” means a deep pond) Zhe Temple.

Backing a hill， the temple is divided into three parts. The central part is filled with splendid structures like archways， mountain gates， altars and Buddhist Halls. A 200-year old purple Yulan growing in the temple is noted as the largest in north of China. When the Yulan blossoms early in spring， numerous people flock here to view the pretty and fragrant flowers. Among the bushes， two high ginkgo trees were entitled by Emperor Qianlong the “Tree of Monarch” and the “Tree of Princess”. The eastern part of the temple contains a dozens of courtyards where the abbot room is included and the rooms where the emperor used to stay are preserved.

Longtan Park

Longtan Park， or Dragon Pool Park rarely features on lists of the “must-see” elements of Beijing， but a meander round the well-tended shores of the lake is a relaxing antidote to the hustle and jostle of some of the more crowded attractions Beijing has to offer. Located just inside the south-east 2nd ring road， its main attraction is its large boating lake. The park also has a number of attractions for children including rollerskating， swings and slides.