Lao She once said, "I don't know what heaven looks like, but judging from my life experience, the autumn in Beijing is like heaven." Yes, when you have seen Beijing in autumn, you will know that autumn in Beijing is probably what heaven looks like.
The Forbidden City
Some people say that the Forbidden City becomes a painting as soon as autumn arrives. This palace, which has a history of more than 500 years in the Ming and Qing dynasties, formerly known as the Purple Forbidden City, is a pearl on the central axis of Beijing and is the largest and most complete wooden palace-type building in the world. After the ginkgo and persimmon trees in the Forbidden City are dyed with autumn colors, with the blessing of the palace architecture, the photos taken have a sense of heaviness and beauty that transcends a hundred years.
Address: No. 4 Jingshan Front Street, Dongcheng District
Opening hours: 8:30-16:00, closed on Mondays
Xiangshan Park
One of the four best places to enjoy maple leaves in China, and one of the "New Beijing Sixteen Sceneries", the red leaves of Xiangshan are famous both at home and abroad, and have become the most intense autumn colors in Beijing. The most common trees in Xiangshan are the Chinese sumac and maple trees. The Chinese sumac was planted during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. After more than 200 years of development, it gradually formed a Chinese sumac forest area. The largest area of maple trees is the Acer truncatum.
Address: No. 40 Maimai Street, Haidian District
Opening hours: 6:00-18:30
Beiwu/Zhongwu Park
"The fragrance of Beijing's rice, the taste of cooking is known to all, no need for dishes at a simple meal, delicious and fragrant." Beijing's rice has a long history as a local specialty. In autumn, mature rice ears shine with golden light under the sunlight, making it a popular place to take photos of the autumn scenery in the capital.
Address: Outside the west gate of the Summer Palace, Haidian District
Opening hours: all day
Ticket price: free
Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park
Composed of the Yuanmingyuan, Changchunyuan, and Qichunyuan, also known as the Three Gardens of Yuanming. At the junction of the three gardens, there is a nearly one-kilometer-long avenue of ginkgo trees. The neatly planted ginkgo trees on both sides of the avenue, along with the ginkgo leaves on the branches and the fallen leaves on the ground, form a "golden avenue".
Address: 28 Qinghua West Road, Haidian District
Opening hours: 7:00-19:30
Beijing Garden Expo Park
The park is planned and laid out as "one axis, two points, five gardens". "One axis" refers to the Garden Expo Axis, which is a landscape axis that runs through the main exhibition area. A silver poplar avenue about 3 kilometers long with more than 800 silver poplar trees on both sides, which is a real silver poplar avenue. Yongding Tower, standing on Eagle Mountain in the Garden Expo Park, is the highest ethnic-style ancient tower in Beijing and one of the iconic landscapes of the Garden Expo Park.
Address: 15 Shejichang Road, Fengtai District
Opening hours: 6:30-19:00
Ticket price: free
Temple of Earth Park
The silver poplar avenue faces the north gate of Fangze Altar. This is the oldest silver poplar avenue in Beijing. Some of the silver poplar trees were planted when the altar was built, which is very historical.
Address: 2 Andingmenwai Street, Dongcheng District
Opening hours: 6:00-21:30
Ticket price: 2 yuan
Baiwang Mountain Forest Park
The forest park closest to Beijing is the easternmost peak of the Taihang Mountains extending to the North China Plain, known as the "first peak of the Taihang frontier". There are two best places to enjoy the red leaves of Baiwang Mountain, one is the Friendship Pavilion, and the other is the Maple Pavilion on the top of Baiwang Mountain. The red leaves of Baiwang Mountain are mainly composed of maple and yellow birch, and torch trees and other autumn viewing tree species are scattered all over the mountains.
Address: 19 Heishanhubei Road, Haidian District
Opening hours: 6:00-18:00
Ticket price: 6 yuan
Olympic Forest Park
The torch tree located on the west slope of Yangshan in the south park is the first to turn red in autumn, and it turns red in mid-October; then the golden maple, white wax, luanshu, tianmu qionghua, mountain apricot, water fir, and huzhizi and other colorful leaf species gradually change color, presenting a colorful and picturesque autumn scene.
Address: No. 33 Kehui Road, Chaoyang District
Opening hours: 5:00-22:00
Ticket price: free
Gingko Avenue in Diaoyutai
A landmark in Beijing for viewing gingko trees. It is said that the gingko trees here were the first batch planted in Beijing. When autumn and winter alternate, the hundreds of meters long gingko forest is magnificent, and the large and small gingko trees are golden, decorating the street with simplicity and elegance. The grass under the trees is covered with thick golden gingko leaves, making a "rustling" sound when stepped on.
Address: Outside the east wall of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Sanlihe Road, Haidian District (east side road of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse)
Opening hours: all day
Ticket price: free
Western Hills National Forest Park
The red leaves of Xiaoxishan are well-known. There are yellow birch and golden maple leaves that turn bright red. The scenic area holds a red leaf festival around mid-October every year. There are two routes for viewing red leaves here, one is the Red Leaf Ridge from Banshanting to Guixiaoshi, and the other is the Red Leaf Grand Canyon from Meiyuan to Guixiaoshi.
Address: 100 meters west of the intersection of Minzhuang Road and Xiangshan South Road, Haidian District
Opening hours: 7:00-18:00
Ticket price: 10 yuan
