Yuquan Hill is located at the foot of the Xishan Mountain in Haidian, Beijing, to the west of the Summer Palace. The hill runs in a northwest direction, with a depth of 1300 meters and a width of about 450 meters at its widest point from east to west. The main peak reaches an altitude of 100 meters. Yuquan Hill derives its name from its spring water, which is described as “clear and blue, as pure as jade”. Due to its surroundings of hills and water, emperors have chosen this site for constructing summer palaces and escaping heat since Liao and Jin dynasties.

The main peak of Yuquan Hill rises more than 50 meters above ground level. Based on the direction of the ridge and the landscape formed by the hill and lakes, the entire park can be roughly divided into three scenic areas: Nanshan Area, Dongshan Area, and Xishan Area. The southern slope is Nanshan Area, which is the essence of the park with Yuquan Lake at its center. Inside the South Gate, there are two symmetrical courtyards. Yuquan Lake is the largest lake in the park, with three islands arranged within it. A group of Buddhist temple buildings built in layers on the main peak of Yuquan Hill -- Xiangyan Temple, Pumen Pavilion, and the octagonal glazed brick pagoda with nine stories--Yufeng Pagoda, imitating the shape of Jinshan Pagoda in Zhenjiang, which form the key scenery of Nanshan Area. The eastern slope and foothills of Yuquan Hill make up Dongshan Area, centered around the 10-meter wide and 22-meter long Yingjing Lake, with buildings arranged along the lake to create a water garden. On the northern shore, there are pavilions and galleries of varying heights. The Xishan Area is the entire area of western hill ridge. On the broad and flat terrain of western foot of the hill sits the largest group of buildings in the park, including Taoist temples, Buddhist temples, and small gardens.