Rating:AAAA
Key Words:Theme Park,Landscape,
Jingshan Park is the best place in downtown Beijing to have a panoramic view of Beijing and the Forbidden City
Admission： 2 RMB
Opening hours: Peak season: 6:00-22:00 (June- August)
Off season: 6:30-20:00(January- March, November-December)
Phone: +86 10 64021191
Best Time to Visit: April to October
Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 Hour
Description
The Jingshan Park is a picturesque royal garden and the largest garden to appreciate the peonies. Jingshan's history dates back to the Liao and Jin dynasties, almost a thousand years ago. It is one of the oldest and most completely preserved imperial gardens in China, and used to be an integral part of the imperial palace.
Located in the centre of Beijing City, the park covers 230,000 sq.m. The artificial hill Jingshan stands is of 45.7 meters of relative height and 94.2 meters of elevation. All the Landscapes are completely preserved, including hills in the Liao Dynasty, walls and palace gates of the Jin Dynasty as well as ancient architectural complexes built in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
Inside the Jingshan Park arranges five summits, and on each summit stands a pavilion---- the Wanchun Pavilion on the middle summit, the Guanmiao Pavilion and Zhoushang Pavilion on east summits and the Yifang Pavilion and Fulan Pavilion on west summits. Standing atop the Jingshan hill you can take in the stunning panorama of the ancient capital Beijing.
The Jingshan Park is home to tens of thousands of peonies and Chinese herbaceous peonies, and it hosts a peony exhibition in spring, a lotus exhibition in summer, and a chrysanthemum exhibition in autumn each year. Blossoms grace the park in all three seasons while pines and cypresses are evergreen in all four seasons.
The Guandi Temple ancient architectural complex has recently opened to visitors for the first time. Located on the northeast side of the park, Guandi Temple (a.k.a. Huguo Zhonhyi Temple) was first built in the Ming Dynasty dating back over six centuries. At present it covers an area of 1710 sq.m, with a floor area of 310 sq.m. There are two courtyards arranged on the axis, dedicated to the Divus Guan (“Guandi”) and the True Warrior Great Deity (“Zhenwudadi”) respectively.
History
Jingshan's history dates to the Liao and Jin dynasties, almost a thousand years ago. The 45.7-meter (150 ft) high artificial hill was constructed in the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty entirely from the soil excavated in forming the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. All of this material was moved by manual labor and animal power. Jingshan consists of five individual peaks, and on the top of each peak there lies an elaborate pavilion. These pavilions were used by officials for gathering and leisure purposes. These five peaks also draw the approximate historical axis of central Beijing.
The dictates offeng shui long praised tombs and residences sited south of a nearby hill, serving to channel both harmful in
and cold northern winds. With Jingshan serving that purpose, it gained the name Feng Shui Hill. It is also well known to locals as Coal Hill, from an old rumor that the emperors kept a hidden stash in the park. The Chongzhen Emperor, the last ruler of the Ming dynasty, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Jingshan in 1644 after Beijing fell to Li Zicheng's rebel forces.
Access
The park has four entrances, one in each of the cardinal directions, but only three are currently open to the public. The south entrance is located across Jingshan Front Street from the Forbidden City and is accessible by Beijing Bus routes 101, 103, 109, 124, 202, 211, 609 and 685. The west entrance on Jingshan West Street and Doushan Street is a short walk from the east gate of Beihai Park and is accessible by Bus routes 5 and 609.
Trolleybus routes 111 and 124 stop at the east entrance. The north entrance is currently closed to the public. It is at the T-intersection between Jingshan Back Street and Di'anmen Inner Street and is accessible by Bus routes 5, 111, 124 and 609.
