When you take your time to wander in Beijing, strolling through the petite bourgeoisie streets and exploring the ancient alleys and hutongs, you can feel the rich cultural heritage and beautiful scenery of old Beijing. Today, the editor recommends this route for you: Prince Kung's Palace → Beihai Park → Shichahai, which can be considered as touring Beijing's "back garden." Hurry up and experience the charm of Beijing!
First Stop: Prince Kung's Palace
As the saying goes, "One Prince Kung's Palace, half of the Qing Dynasty's history." It would be a pity for tourists visiting Beijing to miss the Prince Kung's Palace.
Records indicate that Prince Kung's Palace is the most complete princely residence preserved in China. It was originally the home of He Shen, known as "China's biggest corrupt official," and later it was granted to Prince Kung, hence the name. Upon entering the mansion, the entrance is not grand, but after crossing the rare and Western-style marble gate, the view suddenly opens up. The mansion includes gardens, rockeries, and meandering streams, all of which give a glimpse into the lifestyle and taste of He Shen at that time.
Even the porch windows are imbued with auspicious meanings. The most noteworthy spot in the compound is the Mi Yun Cave beneath the rockeries in the back garden, which houses a "Fu" character stele said to have been stolen from the palace by He Shen, written in the calligraphy of Emperor Kangxi. It is said that this is the true location of Beijing's central axis, and the legendary dragon vein is also here.
Attractions Recommended:
Yin'an Hall: The main building of Prince Kung's Palace. Just as the Forbidden City has the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Prince Kung's Palace has the Yin'an Hall, which speaks volumes about its fame and wealth. Houzhao Building: Located at the junction of the mansion and the garden, more than 50 rooms stretch in a row, over 160 meters long. This vermillion building is the longest in domestic princely architecture, described as the "99 and a half rooms," and is one of the three wonders of Prince Kung's Palace. It was where He Shen collected treasures, and if you look closely at the rear eaves of each room, you'll see the varied and intricate lattice windows. There was a lot of careful planning and many precautions to prevent others from peeking.
The Western-style gate has "Jing Han Tai Gu" inscribed on the outside and "Xiu Yi Heng Chun" on the inside, with "Jing" and "Xiu" representing the two realms the garden owner hoped to achieve. It is said that at the time, there were only three Western-style gates in Beijing, and this is also one of the three wonders of Prince Kung's Palace. Mi Yun Cave: A popular spot that requires queuing to enter. In the center of the cave, there is a "Fu" character stele inscribed by Emperor Kangxi himself, which implies: many children, much talent, much land, long life, and much happiness. The word has multiple meanings and is known as "The Best Wish in the World." The placement of the "Fu" character under the "bat" mountain is also very particular. Each person can only stay for a few seconds to touch and absorb some fortune.
Address: No. 17, Qianhai Xijie(West St), Shichahai, Xicheng, Beijing (east of DingfuJie(St))
Phone: 010-83288149
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 09:00-16:00
Second Stop: Beihai Park
Beihai Park is adjacent to the Forbidden City and Jingshan in the east, borders Zhonghai and Nanhai in the south, connects to Xingsheng Palace and Longfu Palace in the west, and is linked to Shichahai in the north. It is the most beautiful of the "three seas" in the city of Beijing. Beihai is the oldest and most well-preserved imperial garden in China, with a unique garden art style. It is one of the quintessence of ancient Chinese gardens and the most precious cultural heritage of humanity.
The total area of Beihai is 1063 mu, with a water surface area of 583 mu and a land area of 480 mu. Here, the water surface is vast, with lake reflections and tower shadows, pine and cypress greenery, fragrant flowers and trees, pavilions and towers, stacked rocks and caves, all brilliantly colorful and as beautiful as a fairyland. The Beihai Park was built according to the fairyland described in the ancient Chinese mythological story "The Western Queen Mother," and has gradually taken shape through the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties to form today's layout. During the Warring States period, it was said that there were three fairy mountains in the east of the Bohai Sea: "Penglai," "Yingzhou," and "Fangzhang," inhabited by immortals and containing the elixir of life. In 221 BC, after Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China, he sent alchemists like Xu Fu and thousands of boys and girls to sea to find the three "fairy mountains" and the elixir of life, but to no avail; he then built a hundred-mile long pool in Lanchi Palace, built a Penglai mountain with soil, and carved a stone whale 200 zhang long. When the Han Dynasty came, Emperor Wu of Han followed suit but still did not find the fairy mountains, so he ordered a large pool to be dug behind the Jianzhang Palace, named "Taiye Pool." The excavated soil was used to build three mountains in the pool, symbolizing Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang. Since then, emperors of all dynasties have built "one pool and three mountains" near the palace, and the Beihai forest was also built following this tradition. Beihai and Zhongnan are still the Taiye Pool, Qionghua Island is like "Penglai," Tuancheng is "Yingzhou," and Zhonghai Xishan Tai is like "Fangzhang." Today, we can not only see the pavilions and towers on Qionghua Island that are like a fairyland but also see the legendary fairyland scenes such as Shenren An, Lv Gong Dong, and the Bronze Immortal's Dew Receptacle. Beihai not only retains the basic form of the fantasy of the fairy palace garden realized by superb garden art at the peak of history but also integrates the achievements of Chinese temple gardens, Jiangnan literati gardens, and religious scenic spots within the entire palace garden. Its grand scale, long history, and superb artistic achievements are indeed a fine piece in Chinese royal gardens.
Beihai's 1000-year history is closely linked to the development of Beijing. Initially, this area was the old course of the Yongding River, and after the river's natural migration southward, it left behind a wilderness and ponds. As early as the Liao Dynasty, Emperor Yelvdeguang of Liao built his capital in Yanjing in the first year of Huìtóng (938 AD), and subsequently established the "Yao Yu Xing Gong" (Jade Islet Palace) in the northeastern suburbs known as "Bai Lian Tan" (which is Beihai), constructing the "Guang Han Dian" (Broad Cold Palace) and other structures on the island's peak. The "History of Liao" records: "On the peak of the Western City lies the Cool Palace (i.e., Guang Han Dian), with the Yan Jiao Tower, markets, and temples in the northeast corner, too numerous to mention." The "Hongwu Beiping Atlas" records that "Qionghua Island was known as Yao Yu during the Liao period." These historical facts all confirm the existence of the "Yao Yu Xing Gong." After the Jin Dynasty conquered the Liao, they renamed Yanjing to "Zhongdu." In the second year of Tiande under the reign of Emperor Hai Ling of Jin (1150 AD), the "Yao Yu Xing Gong" was expanded, and the "Yao Guang Dian" (Jade Light Palace) was added. From the third to the nineteenth year of the Dading era (1163-1179 AD), Emperor Shizong of Jin modeled the Qionghua Island after the Genyue Garden in Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng, Henan), and transported a large amount of Taihu stones from the "Gen Yue" imperial garden to construct rockeries and caves. He centered the construction of the Daining Palace in the northeastern suburbs of Zhongdu around Yao Yu (i.e., Beihai). Since then, Beihai has essentially taken on the layout of the royal garden as we see it today. The soil excavated from "Jin Hai" was used to expand the island and the surrounding hills; the island was named "Qionghua Island," the water "Xihuatan," and buildings such as the "Guang Han Dian" were reconstructed. In 1264 AD, Kublai Khan, the Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, decided to choose a new site in the northeastern suburbs of the old Zhongdu city to build Dadu. From the first year of Zhi Yuan to the eighth year of Zhi Yuan (1264-1271 AD), Kublai Khan expanded Qionghua Island three times and reconstructed the Guang Han Dian. The Guang Han Dian measured 120 feet in width, 62 feet in depth, and stood at a height of 50 feet.
Address: No. 1 Wenjinjie(St), Xicheng, Beijing
Third Stop: Shichahai
Shichahai is a historical and cultural tourism scenic area as well as a historical and cultural preservation area in Beijing. Located in the central urban district of Xicheng, it borders the central axis of Beijing city. The water area covers 336,000 square meters and is connected to the waters of Zhongnanhai, making it the only open scenic area with a vast water surface in the inner city of Beijing. It is also the largest and most completely preserved historical block within the city, holding a unique position in the history of Beijing's urban planning and construction.
Shichahai includes three water areas, Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai (also known as Jishuitan), and their surrounding areas, echoing the "Front Three Seas" and commonly referred to as the "Back Three Seas." Shichahai is also written as "Shi Cha Hai," and the area was originally surrounded by ten Buddhist temples, hence the name. Since the Qing Dynasty, it has become a place for recreation and summer retreats, and is one of the scenic spots of Yanjing (old name for Beijing). Many of the ancient buildings in the Shichahai scenic area hold an important position in the history of Beijing's urban development and political culture, with main representatives including Prince Kung's Palace and its garden, Soong Ching-ling's former residence and Prince Chun's Mansion, Guo Moruo Memorial Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Deshengmen Arrow Tower, Guanghua Temple, Huitong Temple, and Hui Xian Tang.
The famous book "Imperial Capital Scenery" praises the charm of Shichahai with the phrase "West Lake in spring, Qinhuai in summer, Dongting in autumn." The Shichahai scenic area, with its beautiful scenery, is known as the "water town of the north." With the increase in tourists, this area has gradually seen the emergence of antique cultural shops, snack streets, and bars, thus becoming one of the cultural streets in the capital.
The Shichahai scenic area is located in the northwest part of the central axis of Beijing's urban area. It starts on the north side of Di'anmen Waidajie(St) in the east; runs south from Di'anmen Xidajie(West St) to Longtou Well, then extends northwest to Liuyinjie(St), Yangfang Hutong, and Xingjiekou Dongdajie(East St) to Xingjiekou Beidajie(North St) in the west; and from Xingjiekou Beidajie(North St), it goes north to Xingjiekou Huokou in the north; from Xingjiekou Huokou, it turns east to Deshengmen, and then follows Gulou Xidajie(West St) to the Bell and Drum Towers.
The Shichahai scenic area has a profound historical and cultural heritage, with more than 40 cultural relics protection units, accounting for over one-third of Xicheng. Historically, this region was home to over 30 royal mansions, temples, and nunneries, and more than a dozen of these still exist today. The 34 hectares of water surface in Shichahai blend seamlessly into the urban blocks, and with the water body as a support, the weeping willows along the lake shore and the lotuses in the water also become distinctive natural landscapes of Shichahai. Known as one of the "Eight Lesser Sceneries of Yanjing," "Yinding Mountain Viewing" holds typical significance within the scenic area. The Shichahai scenic area features a large number of typical hutongs and siheyuan, such as the large and small Jinsi Hutongs in the Jinsi Tao area, the South and North Guanfang Hutongs, the Yan'er Hutong along the north bank of Houhai, as well as the Baimi Xiejie(St) and Yandaixie(St).
Address: Yangfang Hutong, Xicheng, Beijing
Transportation Information: Take Subway Line 6 to Beihai North Station or take buses such as 5, 60, 107, 124 to Gulou Station. Take buses 13, 107, 111, 118, 609, 623 to Beihai North Gate Station, and then walk north along Qianhai to arrive.
