Beijing Blog Part 5: Just a walk in the park

Beijing may be known for the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven, but what many people don’t realize is that along with the emperor’s residence, comes the fame of the emperor’s playgrounds. Beihai and Jingshan Park are just that.

Most foreign travelers and tours go to both, though Jingshan Park, being right behind the Forbidden City, is much more popular among the tourists, probably because it is also much more accessible.

Dancers from Xizhang Province was just one of many sights you could see in Jingshan Park.

Just the fact that it is the personal garden of the emperor reveals just how beautiful this garden is. For 2 RMB ($0.20 US) per person, one can take a beautiful stroll among the carefully cultivated pines and the well kept gardens of Jingshan. Perhaps because of the price, perhaps because of the beauty, a simple walk through the garden shows elderly practicing taichi, lovers holding hands down the roads, and on our particular day, dancers from Xizhang Province, practicing a traditional dance.

Jingshan is also famous for a specific tree that one of the emperors, knowing the Forbidden City and all of China were going to be taken over by an invading force, hung himself on. Though, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t quite understand why people are so eager to see places where people committed suicide…

Beihai itself is spectacular to human eyes. Beihai was the traditional religious park reserved specifically for the emperors. Thus, on an island in the middle of the man-made lake, lies the Jade Islet, a mini-city in itself reserved especially for the religious servants of the emperor.

The lake itself is amazingly large; in fact, it is the largest of the lakes surrounding the Forbidden City. Thus, it takes forever to walk around. And after a hike up the Great Wall two days ago, we were still feeling the pain every time we took a step.

Jingshan Park is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Beijing. During the dynastic eras, it was reserved only for the emperor and his kin.

In addition, we also regrettably did not have enough time to do one of the things Beihai is most famous for. If you go to the Jade Islet, one of the restaurants there will serve you a meal just like they served the emperor all those years ago. It’s on my to-do list, maybe I’ll go there later with people from the study abroad and tell you guys about it then.

But for now, we have to go back to the hostel and check out our things, for starting tomorrow, I’ll be writing from a different part of China.