Beihai Park

To the north of the Forbidden City, the Beihai Park in the Xicheng District of central Beijing. It covers an area of 71 hectares, half of which is occupied by lake area. Initially built in the 10th century in Liao Dynasty (907-1125), this Park has been renovated by more than five dynasties in ancient China and is now among the oldest and best-preserved imperial gardens in China.

The Beihai Park adopted and imitated many strong points of renowned scenes and architecture around China, such as garden structures in Suzhou and pavilion design in Hangzhou. Therefore the Beihai Park stands as a masterpiece of Chinese garden art that integrates various styles and superb traditional architecture skills in China.

The Park offers you a lot of beautiful scenery and cultural relics to visit: the renowned 40m high White Pagoda, the Yuexin Hall, and the Buddhist Yong'an Temple on the Qionghua Island (at the center of the Park); the Five-Dragon Pavilions, the colorful glaze brick making Nine-Dragon Wall, and the "garden within the garden" Jingxin Room on the north bank; while in the Circular City of the southwest of the park, verdant ancient trees and the dignified Chengguang Hall on this green islet brings you cool and peaceful atmosphere.

Besides sightseeing around the park, renting a paddle boat and enjoy the view from the water can be another good choice for relax.

The Forbidden City is just half of a kilometer away from the south gate of Beihai Park, so you can arrange your Forbidden City tour and Beihai Park tour within one day.