Beihai Park features a 'one pond, three hills' layout, a royal garden that incorporates the best of various styles

Beihai Park, the oldest royal garden in Beijing, not only has a history of over 850 years but also stands out for its adherence to the 'one pond, three hills' garden structure of Chinese imperial gardens, which has been preserved to this day. Therefore, when visiting Beihai Park, seeing the 'one pond, three hills' is a must. During the Liao and Jin dynasties, the royal garden pattern of 'one pond, three hills' began to take shape. 'One pond' refers to what is now known as 'Beihai, Zhonghai, and Nanhai'; 'three hills' refers to Tuan City, Qionghua Island, and Ying Tai, which is located in Zhongnanhai, and can be seen by visitors as soon as they enter the park from the south gate. The artistic creation of 'one pond, three hills' comes from the paradise described in the ancient mythological story 'The Legend of the Western Queen Mother'. It is said that there are three immortal mountains to the east of the Bohai Sea, named 'Penglai', 'Yingzhou', and 'Fangzhang', where immortals live and possess the elixir of life. During the Qin dynasty, Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent Xu Fu with children to search for these 'immortal mountains' across the sea to find the elixir of life. After failing, he built a hundred-mile-long pond in Lan Chi Palace and piled up earth to form Penglai Mountain. In the Han dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han still could not find the immortal mountains, so he ordered a large pond to be dug behind the Jianzhang Palace, named 'Taiye Pool', and piled up three hills in the pond to symbolize the three immortal mountains of Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang. Today, we can visit the green waters of the pond in Beihai Park, which accounts for about 56% of the total area of the park, and take a closer look at the Tuan City and Qionghua Island landscapes outside the south gate. Tuan City was originally an island in the middle of the lake formed by the accumulation of mud from the excavation of the lake, known as 'Yuan Di'. During the Jin dynasty, a temple was built here. In the Yuan dynasty, a stone wall was erected, and 'Yuan Di' was changed to 'Yuan Cheng'. In the Ming dynasty, the stone wall was replaced with a city wall, and the temple was given its current name: Chengguang Hall. 'Yuan Cheng' was also changed to 'Tuan Cheng'. During the Qing dynasty, two major expansions during the reigns of Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong formed the current layout, and this small city with regular city walls became a miniature landscape in the royal garden. Its three main attractions are: the ancient Chengguang Hall and the white jade Sakyamuni sitting statue enshrined within; the Yuan dynasty jade carving masterpiece, the Jade Vase, in front of Chengguang Hall; and the ancient trees 'Zhe Yin Hou' and 'Bai Pao Jiang Jun' with lush foliage. Qionghua Island is the biggest highlight of Beihai Park and the most dazzling part of the ancient garden architecture. It is a key area worth taking the time to explore in detail. Its main attractions include: the Tibetan-style White Pagoda located at the highest point of Qionghua Island and the Shanyin Hall in front of the pagoda; Yong'an Temple at the southern end of Qionghua Island; the Yue Xin Hall, Qing Xiao Lou, and Yue Gu Lou at the western end; and the stone stele inscribed with 'Qiong Dao Chun Yin' by Emperor Qianlong himself at the eastern end. The northern end of Qionghua Island was originally occupied by the Yilan Hall restaurant, which has been opened to the public after being vacated and renovated, and is also one of the ancient building clusters in Beihai Park that reflects the characteristics of Chinese classical garden construction. Ying Tai is located in Zhongnanhai, and from the city tower of Tuan City, one can look far into the distance. Warm tips: Tuan City ticket: 1 yuan/person, half price for students, free for people over 60 years old. Qiong Island scenic area cultural relics exhibition ticket: 10 yuan/person (including White Pagoda, Yong'an Temple, Yilan Hall), free for people over 60 years old.