Visiting parks in winter? Don't miss these exquisite exhibitions! Not only can you enjoy the warmth indoors, but you'll also admire imperial intangible cultural heritage, treasured porcelain, and a variety of handicrafts. This winter, explore the beauty of early winter in Beijing's parks in a whole new way.
Jingshan Park
The strong winter winds have swept Beijing's skies crystal clear. From the Wanchun Pavilion in Jingshan Park, you can catch a stunning view of the distant Western Hills.
At sunset, you can capture the Forbidden City bathed in golden light—majestic, awe-inspiring, and radiating an unparalleled sense of atmosphere.
In this chilly early winter season, Jingshan Park's Guande Hall is hosting a brand-new exhibition! For the first time, the park is showcasing Beijing's imperial intangible cultural heritage with the Splendid Palace: Beijing Imperial Intangible Cultural Heritage Art Exhibition. Featuring over 70 representative works by national and municipal master artisans and heritage inheritors, the exhibition highlights the artistic achievements and diverse characteristics of Beijing's traditional arts and crafts.
Exhibition Period: November 22, 2024, to mid-December 2024 (Closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
Opening Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (last entry), closes at 5:00 PM
Venue: Hall of observing Moral, Jingshan Park (North side inside the park's East Gate)
Summer Palace
As December arrives, the Winter-exclusive "Golden Arch" at the Summer Palace comes to life. On a clear evening, as the sun sets, the lingering sunlight gradually illuminates the Seventeen-Arch Bridge on Kunming Lake, creating a grand and spectacular scene.
The West Causeway of the Summer Palace, framed by the early winter blue sky and white clouds, reveals a beauty unlike any other.
If you get chilly while strolling through the park, you can easily warm up by stepping into a building and enjoying an exhibition.
1. Close to Kunming: A Calligraphy Exhibition of Meng Fanxi's Inscriptions on the Summer Palace
Calligrapher Meng Fanxi draws inspiration from the Summer Palace's calligraphy, selecting 101 masterpieces from over 700 works. The exhibition features various styles such as regular script, clerical script, seal script, and running script, showcasing rich artistic forms and content related to inscriptions throughout the park.
Exhibition Period: November 19, 2024 – February 28, 2025 (Closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
Location: The Garden of Virtue and Harmony (德和园 De He yuan)
2. Exhibition of Color-Glazed Porcelains Collected by the Summer Palace
This exhibition showcases over 110 pieces of color-glazed porcelain, organized by color into four parts, displaying more than 20 different types of color-glazed ceramics. It is the largest porcelain exhibition ever held at the Summer Palace.
Exhibition Period: September 25, 2024 – February 16, 2025 (Closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
Location: Summer Palace Museum
3. Scenes of Farming and Weaving: A Historical and Cultural Exhibition
This exhibition spans seven halls, narrating the historical changes of the Farming and Weaving Scenic Area and showcasing traditional Chinese agricultural and sericulture culture.
Exhibition Period: Peak season 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (April 1 – October 31), off-season 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (November 1 – March 31), closed on Mondays (except national public holidays)
Location: Farming and Weaving Water Learning Hall
4. Spring Dawn in the Ancient Capital: Special Exhibition on the "Road to the Imperial Examination" at the Summer Palace
Centered on the "Hall of Longevity Promotion Dinner" on March 25, 1949, this exhibition reviews the red history of the Summer Palace through abundant historical documents and modern exhibition means.
Exhibition Period: From 8:00 to 18:00 during the peak season (April 1st - October 31st); from 8:30 to 17:00 during the off-peak season (November 1st - March 31st of the next year). Closed on Mondays (except for national holidays).
Venue: Hall of Longevity Promotion, Summer Palace
Zizhuyuan Park
s autumn fades and winter arrives, the sky is clear and bright. The colors of early winter in Zizhuyuan Park enter their final chapter, with mandarin ducks gliding on the water and reflections as serene as jade, offering a unique and elegant charm. The Zizhuyuan Palace, reopened in November, is hosting its first remarkable exhibition. Don't miss it while strolling through the park.
1. A Centennial Strolling: Dough Figurine Art Exhibition
National-level intangible cultural heritage, the original dough figurines of the "Dough Figurine" family from Beijing, are on display at the Zizhuyuan Palace. The collection spans nearly a century.
Exhibition Period: Until January 3, 2025
Opening Hours: Opens at 08:30, last entry at 17:00, closes at 17:30, closed on Mondays (except public holidays)
Venue: Zizhuyuan Palace, Zizhuyuan Park
2. Craftsmanship Inheritance: Traditional Handicraft Exhibition
This exhibition covers a variety of traditional crafts, including ceramics, brocade, lacquerware, woodwork, and metalwork. It showcases traditional handcrafts recorded in classical texts and artworks, allowing the public to understand the cultural significance and craftsmanship spirit behind these techniques, deepening the appreciation of intangible cultural heritage.
Exhibition Period: Until February 14, 2025
Opening Hours: Opens at 08:30, last entry at 17:00, closes at 17:30, closed on Mondays (except public holidays)
Venue: Youxian Shanguan, Zizhuyuan Park
Yuyuantan Park
In early winter at Yuyuantan, the lake is calm and a serene blue, with wild ducks, mandarin ducks, and other birds lively and full of energy. Cats peacefully nap in the warmth of the winter sun, enjoying the quiet and beauty of the season.
The withered lotus leaves stretch across the lake, adding a unique charm to the scene.
Although the flowers and leaves in the park have vanished in the cold winds of winter, the "Hundred Flowers in Bloom" exhibition at the Yuheshi Yinghua Exhibition Hall is a stunning sight to behold.
The "Deqing Xudao" Yuyuantan Park Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition features 67 works of calligraphy and painting, all centered around the theme of "the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature." The collection mainly includes landscape paintings, flower and bird paintings, figure drawings, calligraphy, and seal carvings.
Exhibition Period: Expected to run until December 13
Venue: Yuyuantan Park, Yuheji Yinghua Exhibition Hall
Translator: BAI Jing
