Beihai Park (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

As a national key cultural relic protection unit, Beihai Park not only has a long history, but also attracts visitors from all over the world with its unique beautiful lakes and mountains.

Photo taken at the first visit to Beihai Park (Photo: Fang Jiqing)

Looking back at history, the development of Beihai gardens began in the Liao Dynasty, and the Jin Dynasty built the grand Taining Palace in the 19th year of Dading (1179) based on the foundation of the Liao Dynasty. Taining Palace followed the regulations of "one pool and three mountains" in my country's royal gardens, and moved the Taihu Lake stones from the Yuyue Imperial Garden in Bianjing in the Northern Song Dynasty to Qionghua Island.

Archway in the garden (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In the fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1267), Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, built Dadu as the center of Qionghua Island in the Taining Palace. Qionghua Island and the lake it was located in were included in the Imperial City and named Wanshou Mountain and Taiyechi. In the 18th year of Yongle (1420), the Ming Dynasty officially moved the capital to Beijing, and Wanshou Mountain and Taiyichi became the imperial gardens to the west of the Forbidden City, known as Xiyuan.

Meditation in nostalgia in the garden (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Ming Dynasty opened up the water surface southward, forming a pattern of three seas. The Qing Dynasty inherited the Xiyuan of the Ming Dynasty, and carried out large-scale reconstruction of Beihai during the Qianlong period, laying the foundation for the subsequent scale and pattern. The park is centered on the North Sea and covers an area of 69 hectares (including 39 hectares of water surface). The Li Palace was built in the Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties. It was built as an imperial garden in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was opened as a park in 1925.

Boating in the park and rippling waves (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

As a royal garden in Beijing's Urban area, Beihai Park has a huge area, which is rare in Beijing, where every inch of land is as gold. The park is centered on the north sea and is divided into four major areas: "North Bank Scenic Area","East Bank Scenic Area","Qiongdao Scenic Area" and "Tuancheng Scenic Area".

Scenery of the Garden in the Garden on the North Bank (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

On the east bank of the North Sea, there are several groups of courtyard-style gardens such as Haopu Room, Huafang Room, and Silkworm Altan; on the north bank, from east to west, there are Jingxinzhai, Xiantian Fanjing, Chengguantang, Jiulong Wall, Chanfu Temple and Blissful World. These scenic spots complement each other, dotted with the Wulong Pavilion along the lake, and cleverly integrated with the natural mountains and rivers.

Group photo on the corridor (Photo: Zhang Changsheng)

I remember that on May 16, 2015, the reporter met with primary school students from Xinglong Street Primary School in Beijing at a small gathering in Beihai Park. Maybe I haven't been here for decades. Walking into the park and looking at the familiar and unfamiliar scene in front of me, I couldn't help but arouse some memories of my childhood. At that time, I met some middle school students who were also sightseeing here. When they saw our party, they happily proposed to take a group photo, so a beautiful time was frozen in an instant.

Photo taken at a primary school reunion (Photo: passers-by)

In the corridor in front of Qianhai Fangshan Restaurant, students spoke freely and talked about the wonderful times they had in this park when they were children. Looking across the sea from the familiar splendid buildings including the Five Dragon Pavilion and the Little Western Heaven, I couldn't help but recall my experience of studying lathe workers at the Beijing Youth Science and Technology Museum on the other side.

Corner of the Waterside Pier (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

At that time, at the Youth Science and Technology Museum in Beihai Park, he came here once a week in his spare time to learn lathe skills from a master worker. He vaguely remembered that under the guidance of the master, he used a lathe to make screws. However, it is a pity that decades have passed. Looking back on it, some of the skills I learned to be a lathe have long disappeared. I only remember that there was a part called the "spindle handle" on a lathe...

Photo taken by Qiongdao Spring Shading Monument (Photo: passers-by)

During that classmate reunion, the one thing I remember most clearly was taking a group photo in front of the "Qiongdao Spring Shades" stone tablet, one of the "Eight Scenes of Yanjing". Qiongdao Spring Shading Monument was erected in the 16th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1751). The front of the stele is engraved with the four characters "Spring Shades of Qiongdao" in the imperial book of Emperor Qianlong. The other three sides are engraved with Qianlong poems.

Walking into Beihai Garden (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Because it is located on the side of Qionghua Island, and the island is located under the "Baita Mountain" of Beihai Park, it is one of the important attractions of Beihai Park. Qionghua Island is referred to as Qiongdao. It is located in the south of Taiyechi in Beihai Park. The island is 32.0 meters high and has a circumference of 913 meters. Qionghua means gorgeous jade, and is named after it, indicating that the island is a fairyland treasure island built of jade. According to myths and legends, Qionghua is the flower of Qiongshu (flower is flower) and grows on Penglai Immortal Island. People can live forever after eating it. This also means that the island is built in imitation of Yaochi Wonderland.

Beihai Royal Post Station (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The buildings on Qionghua Island are laid out according to the mountains, with high and low patterns, hidden among green pines and cypresses. In the south, Yong 'an Temple is the main body, with Dharma Hall and Zhengjue Hall. In the southeast, there is a stone bridge connected to the shore, and there is a picturesque Jingshan Mountain. In the early Qing Dynasty, a letter fort was set up on the top of the mountain, manned by the Eight Banners Army, commanding high and covering the whole city. Once there was a police officer, a signal could be immediately sent out.

Blooming flowers in the garden (Photo: Wang Jue)

From the climbing stone steps on Qionghua Island, you can climb Baita Mountain up to the White Pagoda of Yong 'an Temple, which was built in 1651 and has a height of 35.9 meters. The base is a masonry Sumi pedestal with a three-story round table and a "Tibetan well" under the 100 towers. This Tibetan-style Lama Pagoda is 5.9 meters high and has a bottle shape. The upper part is a two-layer copper umbrella cover. There is a gilded pearl pagoda on the top and a folded corner Meru Pagoda seat on the bottom. Inside the tower are Lama scriptures, mantle bowls and two relics. In front of the tower there is a small and exquisite Hall of Charity.

Corner of pavilions and pavilions (Photo: Wang Jue)

Beihai Park is really too big. I remember that time when we came to take a group photo in front of the "Qiongdao Spring Shadow" monument, we came to the promenade of Fangshan Restaurant and chatted happily. We didn't visit other scenic spots.

Corner in Xiaolinglong Garden (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Five years later, on November 3, 2020, the reporter once again took time to visit Beihai Park. This time, because it was the North Gate who came in, he first came to the "Little Linglong" scenic spot. This small courtyard built on the water in the northwest of the garden has beautiful scenery, with rockery, beautiful water and curved corridors connected. From here, you can turn to the front of the "Main Ke Ting" in the Northeast Courtyard and admire an ancient locust tree that is more than 800 years old. Further north there is a square "silkworm altar", where the Qing Dynasty empresses and concubines sacrificed to the silkworm god. It is also one of the nine altars in Beijing.

Scenery of Jingxinzhai Qinquan Corridor (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Not far from the west of Cantan, you will find Jingxinzhai, covering an area of 4700 square meters. It was originally called the Qianlong Little Garden. Later, it was set up as the prince's study. Jingxin Zhai, formerly known as "Jingqing Zhai", covers an area of approximately 8,700 square meters. It is the most exquisite garden in Beihai. Jingxinzhai was originally an ordinary official house in the Ming Dynasty. Jingxinzhai (then called Jingqingzhai), also known as the "Qianlong Small Garden", was built during the expansion of the "Western Heaven Fanjing" in the 24th year of Qianlong (1757 AD).

Park Small and Medium-sized Corridor (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The main buildings in the park include Jingqingzhai, Baosu Bookstore, Yunqin Zhai, Bixian Pavilion, Baichawu, Yanhua Pavilion, Qinquan Corridor, Zhenluan Pavilion, Stone Bridge, etc. Jingxinzhai is pillowed on the mountain in the east, leaning against the temple in the west, and Cangbo in the south. In the park, pavilions, corridors, pavilions, stone bridges, ponds, rockery and towers. The architectural form of the halls not only retains the majestic spirit of the northern gardens, but also has the small and exquisite taste of Jiangnan gardens. It is a treasure of Chinese gardening art.

Corner in the Tianwang Hall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

To the west of Jingxin Zhai is the Hall of Tianwang. The main hall is a nanmu building, and this is the place for the translation and printing of the Buddhist scriptures. On the west side of the Tianwang Hall is the Nine Dragon Wall made of 424 seven-color glazed bricks. Jiulong Wall is a shadow wall in front of the original Great Circle Mirror Wisdom Hall. It was built in the 21st year of Qianlong (1756).

Jiulong Wall (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The wall is 5.96 meters high, 1.60 meters thick and 25.52 meters long. Both sides of the wall are inlaid with seven-color glazed tiles. There are nine large colorful coiled dragons on each side, flying and playing with pearls among the waves and clouds. There are 635 large and small coiled dragons on the wall. There are three ancient nine-dragon walls in China, but this one is a double-sided wall. It is the essence of Chinese glass architectural art.

Chanfu Temple (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Continue moving forward from Jiulong Wall, come to the water bank, and walk straight to Chanfu Temple, the former site of the Science and Technology Museum, hoping to regain some of the aftertaste of the past. However, decades have passed, and now I look at the stone steps of the Science and Technology Museum. I feel that the steps are not so high. I remember that it was so high back then. Every time I come here, I have to climb for a while to enter the Science and Technology Museum. However, the surrounding scenery such as the Five Dragon Pavilion, Nine Dragon Wall, and the Western Heaven still feel so familiar and cordial...

Photo taken during the second tour of Beihai Park (Photo: passers-by)

During this Beihai tour, we also watched the scenery of "Little Linglong", Jingxinzhai, Xiaoxitian and Five Dragons Pavilion respectively. After that, we walked along the east bank of the water bank to the north gate, and left a commemorative photo on the stone bridge at the north gate with Baita Mountain as the background. After leaving the park, I also visited Tuancheng.

Tuancheng Cultural Relics Protection Memorial Stone (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

I remember when I was a child, I rarely went to Beihai Park because I had to buy a ticket for the Tuancheng City outside the south gate. Tuancheng is located on the west side of the south gate of Beihai Park and is known as the "City in Beijing". On the same day, when I left the south gate from Beihai, I happened to be in Tuancheng, so I went in to have a look. It is located between the Forbidden City, Jingshan and Beihai. It is surrounded by picturesque scenery, with green pines and cypresses. The buildings of Biwa Zhuheng constitute the most beautiful scenic spot in Beijing. Climb up Tuancheng and look around the Tongzihe Corner Tower and Zhongnanhai not far away.

Walking into Tuancheng Scenic Area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Tuancheng also records a tortuous history. This used to be a small island in the Taiye Pond. Yitian Hall was built on it in the Yuan Dynasty, renovated in the Ming Dynasty and renamed Chengguang Hall. A city wall was built around the island, with the top of the wall being built into a battlements, initially establishing the scale of Tuancheng. During the Qianlong period, major construction was carried out and the jade urn pavilion was added. During the Jin Dynasty, Tuancheng was part of the Imperial Garden.

Corner in Tuancheng Scenic Area (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Walking into Tuancheng and coming to Chengguang Hall located in the center of the city platform, I saw a niche inside, which houses a white jade Buddha statue carved from a whole piece of jade. It is 1.5 meters high. The head and clothes of the Buddha statue have a kind face with red and green gems. The face is clean and flawless, with clear luster.

Looking out from Tuancheng (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Tuancheng, you can also see the melon pine planted in the Jin Dynasty, which has a history of more than 800 years. It is the oldest forest in Beijing. There are also two white-bark pine trees that are hundreds of years old and one tanhai pine tree. The Later Emperor of Heaven once named Trichosanthes ginseng the "Shade Marquis", white-bark ginseng the "White-robed General", and tanhai pine the "Haihai Marquis". The three trees are all green in color, which further sets off the quiet environment of Tuancheng.

Corner of Chengguang Hall in Tuancheng (Photo: Wang Jue)

When the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing in 1900, Tuancheng was looted, Yanxiang Gate Tower was destroyed, Baiyu Buddha's left arm was injured, and all the treasures and cultural relics in Tuancheng were looted. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the party and government repaired Tuancheng many times. In 1961, the State Council listed Tuancheng and Beihai as national key cultural relics protection units. The first tour of Tuancheng ended, and the second tour of Beihai Park was successfully concluded. Goodbye! Beihai Park, I will come again when I have time! (Photo and text: Feng Ganyong)