Outdoor sights in Běijīng
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A
Zhongshan Park
Named after Sun Zhongshan, the father of modern China, this peaceful park sits west of the Gate of Heavenly Peace, with a section hedging up against the Forbidden City moat. A refreshing prologue or conclusion to the magnificence of the imperial palace, the park was formerly the sacred Ming-style Altar to the God of the Land and the God of Grain (Shèjìtán), where the emperor offered sacrifices. The square altar(wǔsè tǔ) remains, bordered on all sides by walls tiled in various colours. Near the park entrance stands a towering dark-blue tiled páilou with triple eaves that originally commemorated the German Foreign Minister Baron von Ketteler, killed by Boxers in 1900…
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Chairlift
Superb in the autumn, when the abundant maple leaves turn a flaming red, but great any time when the weather is right, this park snuggled in the Western Hills teems with hikers and day trippers at weekends. Make sure to check the view of Beijing available from Incense-Burner Peak – there’s a chairlift if you don’t fancy the walk – and to visit the lovely Azure Clouds Temple, which dates back to the Yuan dynasty.
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B
Yuyuantan Park
With a huge body of water divided into east and west lakes, it’s a lovely park for walks, especially the short, but pretty west-lake route. In winter, you can ice skate; rent equipment from the vendors who gather around the lakes. Boats to the Summer Palace leave from the Bayi Lake Dock.
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C
Ditan Park
Imperial rulers once made offerings to the Earth God from Ditan’s square-shaped altar. Nowadays, local residents flood into the park for their daily gossip or to power walk along the shady lanes. An excellent temple fair takes place here during the Spring Festival.
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D
Longtan Park
One of Beijing’s nicest parks, artfully landscaped Longtan has bridges, pavilions, playgrounds for kids and a waterfall. Escape the summer heat by hiring a boat (Y60 per hour, Y200 deposit) and cruising the large artificial lake that dominates it.
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E
Ming City Wall Ruins Park
As late as the early 1950s, Beijing was still a walled city. Now, all that remains of the fortifications is this slender strip of restored wall in a small park. Follow the footpath along it, and check out the bullet holes in some of the bricks.
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