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Botanical Garden is a national AAAA composite scenic spot in Beijing, as well as an important base for science education, research and tourism. It is one of the key construction projects in China.

来源@视觉中国

It is located between the Fragrant Hills Park (also called Xiangshan Park) and Jade Spring Hill (known as Yuquan Hill) in Haidian District. It is 15 miles (24 kilometers) far from downtown. In 1956, the project (with a planned coverage of 4,000,000 square meters or nearly 1,000 acres) was begun. Now, it has an open area of 500 acres (2,000,000 square meters). It consists of the Plant Exhibition Area, the Scenic Spot and the Historical Resorts, the Scientific Research Area and the Nature Reserve. 10,000 categories of plant with a population of 1.5 million plants are cultivated here, for which this one has been regarded as the biggest in north China so far.

来源@视觉中国

The Plant Exhibition Area has four clear divisions. The Theme Gardens have 11 sub-divisions including Lilac Garden, Chinese Rose Garden, Flowering Peach Garden, Peony garden, and so on. The Arboretum Garden has Ginkgoaceae, Coniferales, Mapletrees, Basswood, Magnolia, Berberis, Lysidice and Paulownia.

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It is remarkable that it centers on a greenhouse exhibition of plants. The Greenhouse began to take shape in 1998 and was open to the public in 2000. With floor space of nearly 2.5 acres (9,800 square meters), it enjoys the reputation of 'the biggest display greenhouse in Asia'. The Greenhouse Exhibition Area is divided into 4 parts: the Tropical Rain Forests Area, the Desert Plants Area, the Garden of Seasons and the Theme Exhibition Rooms. Plants of 3,100 varieties with population of 60,000 thrive in the greenhouse, including Lithops, pencil bush and cymbidiums. It makes the Greenhouse an important base for scientific education and research.

来源@视觉中国

In the Scenic Spot and Historic Resort, there are the Temple of Recumbent Buddha (Wofo Temple, built up in Tang Dynasty 618AD - 907AD), the Liang Qichao's Tomb (1873–1929, a Chinese scholar, philosopher, journalist and reformist in the late Qing Dynasty 1616 - 1911), who inspired Chinese with his reform movement), the Memorial of Cao Xueqin (the Author of the literary work 'Story of the Stone'---one of the Four Great classical Chinese novels, The Cherry Valley (one of the gardens in the Beijing countryside), the Commemorating Booth of 'December Ninth's Movement' (a student demonstration in 1935, under the organization of Chinese Communists) and the Sites of Longjiao Temple (an ancient Buddhist temple).

Transportation:

By Bus:

Take bus 360, 318, 505, 630, 698, 714, Yuntong 112, and get off at Zhiwuyuan Station;

Take bus 331, 505, 563 and Yuntong 112 to Zhiwuyuan South Gate.

By Subway:

Subway Line 1: get off at Guzhen Subway Station, and then transfer to bus 318.

Subway Line 2: get off at Xizhimen Station and out from Exit D. Then transfer to bus 563.

Subway Line 4: get off at Beigongmen Station, get out of the station and then transfer to bus 331, 696, 563.

Source: travelchinaguide.com