Page 26 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

24 ❯❯ Top 10 Beijing Highlights

Bei Hai Park

An imperial garden for over 1,000 years, Bei Hai was opened
to the public in 1925. Filled with artificial hills, pavilions, and
temples, it is associated with Kublai Khan, who redesigned
it during the Mongol Yuan dynasty. These days, it is a fine
place for a leisurely stroll, and a bit of
boating on the lake.

White Dagoba
The Place
Round City
1 2 4
of Serenity
Bei Hai was
Topping Jade
the site of Beijing’s In the northwest corner Island, this is a Tibetan-
earliest imperial palace, of the park is this utterly style stupa built to honor
although nothing now beautiful garden, created the visit of the fifth Dalai
remains other than a in the mid-18th century Lama in 1651. It has
small pavilion on a site by the Qianlong emperor, been rebuilt twice since.
known as the Round with rockeries, pavilions,
City, and a large jade and ornate bridges over
wine vessel said to have goldfish-filled pools. PARK PLAY
belonged to Kublai Khan. Beijing’s parks double
Three Temples
3 as recreation centers,
Near the Place
particularly for the city’s
of Serenity is a trio of elderly citizens. Early
small temple buildings – in the morning, they
the Pavilion of 10,000 gather to perform tai ji
Buddhas (left), the quan (tai chi) exercises.
Glazed Pavilion, which Many then spend the
is covered with green rest of the day in the
and yellow ceramic park playing cards or
mahjong, engaging in
Buddhas, and the yang ge (fan dancing)
Xiao Xitian (Small or ballroom dancing, or
Western Sky) Temple just reading the paper
filled with fearsome- and talking with friends.
looking idols.
Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Three-column, 8.25pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.5)
024-025_Top_10_Beijing.indd 24 27/06/2017 14:32
Date 12th May 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm