Beihai Park – Finding Childhood Joys, September 2022 (II)
Born in the 1960s, the happiest moments of my primary and middle school days were the spring and autumn outings. Usually, we would visit parks, mostly within or on the outskirts of the city, like the Summer Palace, Beihai, Zhongshan Park, and so on. When we heard about an outing, excitement would last for days. Parents would prepare treats like bread and biscuits in advance; some less well-off families might bring a pancake, or even just sweet potatoes or corn buns. Almost no one brought water, let alone drinks—it seems there weren’t any back then. We all drank straight from the tap, what Beijingers call “bending over the tap.” The water in the parks looked more refined, with special drinking fountains for visitors, the same water but with a thin upward spout. That water tasted sweet and refreshing, far better than today’s purified water.
Back then, children played lots of outdoor games—like spinning tops, ice sledding, whipping the ‘traitor’ (a spinning top game), marbles, flipping cigarette cards, ‘pulling roots’ (a game with tree leaves), hoop rolling, and making and flying simple kites, among many others. From before school to after school, the streets were our playground, and we were unbelievably happy. But we rarely went to parks, so school-organized outings were especially thrilling. At the park, we children were like a flock of happy birds, chattering nonstop. Even though we didn’t understand much of what we saw and didn’t know how to appreciate it, that sense of novelty, joy, and freedom still tugs at my heart today.
As I grew older, seeing more of the world and living in better conditions, joy became harder to find. I often traveled to other places, but rarely visited Beijing’s parks anymore. Those happy childhood times are indelible memories. Taking advantage of being unable to travel far during the pandemic, I decided to revisit Beijing’s parks thoroughly and relive those childhood joys—a truly wonderful experience.
“Let Us Sway Twin Oars” was the song we knew best as children. Whenever we sang it, images of red walls and the white pagoda, of little boats bobbing and laughter-filled outings, would fill our minds—as if this song were a poster for Beihai Park.
Of all Beijing’s parks, the one I visited most as a child was Beihai Park—first, because it was close, and second, admission was cheap. In the 1970s, I think it was 50 cents. Even so, spending 50 cents on a park visit wasn’t exactly cheap for ordinary families. So we could only go a few times a year at most. If we got to row a boat, it felt like New Year’s Day—pure bliss.
Beihai Park is located in the city center, bordering Jingshan to the east, Zhongnanhai to the south, and Shichahai to the north. Centered on Beihai Lake, the park’s main scenic areas are Qionghua Island, the East Bank, the North Bank, and Tuancheng (Round City). The Xiaoxitian (Little Western Paradise), Nine-Dragon Screen, White Pagoda, Yong’an Temple, Tuancheng, and the Jade Urn are the park’s highlights.
Beihai Park’s history dates back to the Liao and Jin dynasties. By the eighth year of the Yuan Dynasty’s Zhiyuan reign (1271), it had already become a large imperial garden. Successive Ming and Qing expansions added numerous pavilions, terraces, halls, and towers. In the eighth year of the Shunzhi Emperor’s reign (1651), to promote ethnic harmony, Emperor Shizu ordered a Tibetan-style white pagoda built on Qionghua Island at the request of the Tibetan lama Naomuhan, with a temple (White Pagoda Temple) in front. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, and Beihai was ravaged. After the founding of New China, the government invested heavily in restoring Beihai Park, dredging the lake and repairing ancient structures, giving it a completely new look and making it the city’s favorite park.
（Image from the internet）
This time, I spent one half-day and one full day at Beihai Park, entering both times through the North Gate. On the first day I explored Qionghua Island, and on the second day I focused on the North Bank, West Bank, and East Bank scenic spots, ending at Tuancheng.
On the second day, I again entered through the North Gate. The park opens at 6 a.m., so I headed west along the North Bank, first seeing the open-air sights; those with gates open at 8. My route: Nine-Dragon Screen, Iron Shadow Screen, Five-Dragon Pavilion, Xiaoxitian, the Wanfo Lou Stele, West Bank, then back from the West Gate, then the Wanfo Lou ruins, Chanfu Temple, Kuaixue Hall, the Fangshan Imperial Restaurant, Daxitian (Great Western Paradise), Jingxin Studio, Xiancan Altar, Huafang Study, Haopu Garden, the South Gate, and finally Tuancheng.
Early morning sunlight spilled over Qionghua Island, the White Pagoda blushed with a rosy glow, and the waters of Taiye Lake shimmered. In the distance, the tower of neighboring Jingshan showed its graceful silhouette.
The Nine-Dragon Screen in Beihai Park was originally the screen wall before the True Meaning Gate (Zhendi Men), the entrance to the Great Yuanjingzhi Hall. The temple was burned down in 1900, rebuilt, but caught fire again in 1919, leaving only the screen.
This screen was built in the 21st year of the Qianlong reign (1756). It is 5.96 meters high, 1.6 meters thick, and 25.52 meters long. Both sides are adorned with 18 coiled dragons glazed in seven colors: red, yellow, blue, white, cyan, green, and purple.
The nine-dragon screen is a type of spirit screen, used in traditional Chinese architecture to block direct views. Beihai Park’s screen, together with the one in the Forbidden City and the one in Datong, Shanxi, are known as the ‘Three Great Nine-Dragon Screens of China.’ Beihai’s is the most distinctive because it has dragons on both sides, each one unique.
The dragon is the totem of the Chinese nation. Among yang numbers, nine is the supreme, and five sits at the center—the ‘Nine-Five’ system embodies the emperor’s supreme status. The central dragon is yellow, the most noble color, which is why imperial robes were yellow. This yellow dragon sits right in the center and, counting from either right or left, is the fifth. It symbolizes the Son of Heaven. Because the number five occupies the center among yang numbers, the phrase ‘Nine-Five Supreme’ came into being. On the screen, the central dragon is the principal dragon, flanked by ascending and descending dragons. All nine dragons soar with different expressions: the principal dragon is majestic and dignified, the ascending dragons are fierce and powerful, and the descending dragons are gentle and refined. The entire screen represents a flourishing era where wise men work together, everything goes smoothly, and prosperity rises.
The screen has a five-ridge, four-slope roof. On the front and back of the main ridge are nine dragons each; on each side of the vertical ridges is one dragon; on each of the two chiwen ornaments at the ends of the main ridge, front and back, is one dragon; under the ridge-devouring beasts, on the east and west sides, there is a cover tile with a dragon on each. Thus, the five ridges alone have 32 dragons.
On each of the flat tiles, parapet tiles, and dragon bricks under the brackets is a single dragon (there are 252 flat tiles, 251 parapet tiles, and 82 dragon bricks). Counting all, the Nine-Dragon Screen has a total of 635 dragons.
Fangshan is a famous imperial-style restaurant. This is its original location; in 1959 it moved to Yilan Hall on the north side of Qionghua Island, which had a much better setting. Due to the renovation of Yilan Hall, Fangshan had to move back here. I ate there when it was on Qionghua Island and it was excellent; I haven’t been back since the move and don’t know how it is now.
West of Fangshan, you’ll see the Iron Shadow Screen. A relic from the Yuan Dynasty, it’s brownish and carved from neutral volcanic breccia, its iron-like color and texture giving it its name. Both sides are shallowly carved with cloud motifs and mythical beasts, simple and bold in style.
The Iron Shadow Screen originally stood before an ancient temple outside Deshengmen Gate. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was moved to the Guardian Desheng Nunnery inside the gate, in what is now Iron Shadow Screen Hutong. In 1947, the screen itself was moved to Beihai Park. In 1986, the park retrieved its base from the hutong, completing the restoration.
In front of the Iron Shadow Screen, five pavilions stretch out into the water in a line, called the Five-Dragon Pavilion. Built in the 30th year of the Wanli reign (1602), the center pavilion is Longze (Dragon Marsh), with Yongrui and Fucui to the east, and Chengxiang and Zixiang to the west. In the 28th year of Qianlong (1763), the wooden arched bridges were replaced with stone ones and fitted with bluestone balustrades. Damaged by the Eight-Nation Alliance in 1900, these were restored to their original state in 1974. The pavilions extend into the water in a staggered arrangement, all with green glazed-tile roofs trimmed in yellow and richly painted rafters, a dazzling sight of gold and green. In imperial times, Longze Pavilion was reserved for the emperor and empress to fish, admire the moon, or watch fireworks, while the other four were for accompanying civil and military officials.
West of the Five-Dragon Pavilion is Xiaoxitian (Little Western Paradise). It was begun in the 33rd year of the Qianlong reign (1768) and completed two years later, built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother, Empress Dowager Xiaosheng, to pray for blessings and longevity. The main building is Jile Shijie (Paradise), China’s largest surviving square palace hall.
The main hall has windows on all four sides, with finely carved nanmu wood screens. The entire structure is made of golden-thread nanmu wood, and together with the Daci Zhenru Hall in Daxitian (Greater Western Paradise), it ranks among the finest surviving Ming-dynasty wooden buildings in China.
East, west, south, and north of the hall stand glazed-tile memorial archways. Statistics show that Beijing has ten surviving glazed archways, five of them in Beihai Park: four here in Xiaoxitian and one in Daxitian. I’ve seen similar archways at Zhaomiao Temple in Fragrant Hills, Wofo Temple in the Botanical Garden, and the Sea of Wisdom at the Summer Palace. The ones at Dongyue Temple and the Imperial Academy I plan to visit when I get the chance.
The four archways are identical in form and scale, differing only in the inscriptions. They are masterpieces: the stone carvings at the base, golden dragons between the arches, bracket sets under the eaves, chiwen ornaments on the ridges, and seated beasts are all exquisite, making them rare architectural treasures.
At each of the four corners is a small square pavilion. To the south runs a crescent-shaped stream, crossed by a stone bridge with carved balustrades.
The Wanfo Lou Stele stands south of Xiaoxitian. It was erected in 1770 by Emperor Qianlong in front of Wanfo Lou (Ten Thousand Buddha Tower) to celebrate his mother’s 80th birthday, and was moved in 1987 to the west of Xiaoxitian’s archway. The stele’s top features four dragons holding a square jewel, with walking dragons carved on four sides. The front, back, and sides are inscribed in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, and Tibetan with the characters ‘Imperial’ and verse by the emperor.
The Sumeru pedestal is carved with vivid, muscular figures supporting the stele, bare-chested, some snarling, others tight-lipped as if straining with all their might. Around the base are brilliantly lifelike carvings of lions, qilin, sea cows, celestial horses, lobsters, and other creatures.
Walking south along the West Bank offers the best views, rich and layered. Looking east from here, the graceful silhouettes of Jingshan and the CITIC Tower (China Zun) form a beautiful scene, contrasting Beijing’s ancient and modern elements in such harmony—far more pleasing than the reverse view from the East Bank. A stretch of clear water encircles Qionghua Island, dense green leaves reflect the White Pagoda. When a breeze lifts the crystal water curtain, pavilions and towers become part of the painting.
Back at the West Gate, I returned as the gated attractions were opening. Directly north of Jile Shijie lie the ruins of Wanfo Lou. Originally completed in 1770, it was built by Emperor Qianlong to celebrate his mother’s 80th birthday. With a height of 27 meters and a yellow-glazed gable-and-hip roof, the three-story building had 10,099 wooden niches in its walls holding countless Buddha statues—hence the name ‘Ten Thousand Buddha Tower.’ One can imagine its past glory and grandeur. During the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion in 1900, it became the Japanese army headquarters, and all the golden Buddhas were looted. It gradually fell into ruin, and most structures were demolished in the 1950s and 60s. Today, only the Puqing Gate, Baoji Tower, Miaoxiang Pavilion, and two stone scripture pillars remain.
Broken stone beasts, statues, architectural fragments, and column bases are scattered everywhere. There are open display stands that once held bronze vessels, rare stones, incense burners, and the like. The stone scripture pillars are well preserved, with exquisite carvings and designs.
Miaoxiang Pavilion sits in the northwest corner, with double eaves, a spire, a green glazed jewel finial, and grey tiles trimmed in green. The upper eaves are octagonal; the lower section has four protruding porches, and the pavilion’s 48 pillars give it an elegant, graceful shape—such an unusual structure I’d never seen before. Inside, it’s even more remarkable, hiding a great treasure: a sixteen-sided white marble pagoda inlaid with stone carvings of the Sixteen Arhats, copied from the paintings by the famous Five Dynasties monk Guanxiu. The pagoda also bears Emperor Qianlong’s inscription ‘In Praise of Guanxiu’s Sixteen Arhats’ and a postscript, as well as a record by the monk Mingshui. The top has an octagonal stone eave, and the lower eave has carved rafter heads and lion heads. The base is a Sumeru pedestal with a carved band of two dragons playing with a pearl. The pagoda is divided into sixteen faces separated by corner columns, each face split into upper and lower registers: below, a carved arhat image; above, the arhat’s name in Sanskrit. The sixteen faces thus bear sixteen arhats, true masterpieces of stone carving.
Though Wanfo Lou is gone, its flagpole stones in front remain. The carving of two dragons playing with a pearl displays typical Qianlong-era style—five-clawed, dynamic, and finely detailed.
Baoji Tower was the east wing of Wanfo Lou and is the only surviving building on the site.
Chanfu Temple lies north of the Five-Dragon Pavilion. It was first built in the 11th year of Qianlong (1746) on the site of Taisu Hall. After Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang passed away, memorial ceremonies were held here. Later, Emperor Qianlong, honoring his mother’s wish, converted it into a lamasery, naming it Chanfu Temple and modeling it after Longxing Temple in Zhengding, Hebei. The first courtyard’s main hall is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, flanked by bell and drum towers. Behind the hall hangs the plaque ‘Zongcheng Yuanjing,’ and the Great Buddha Hall beyond has been destroyed, leaving only two stone steles in front.
East of Chanfu Temple, hidden among vegetation and up a flight of steps, lies a rustic courtyard complex—Kuaixue Hall—whose gate bears the sign ‘Kuaixue Hall Calligraphy Museum.’ Its greatest attraction is the collection of stone engravings of works by master calligraphers, headlined by Wang Xizhi’s ‘Quick Snow, Clearing Sky.’ The first courtyard’s main building is Chengguan Hall; the second’s is Yulan Studio. The third courtyard, Kuaixue Hall, was added during Qianlong’s reign. In the 44th year (1779), to house and display the printing blocks of Kuaixuetang Fashu, the emperor ordered a nanmu hall built east of Chanfu Temple, with ten-bay covered corridors on each side, and 48 ink-stone engravings embedded in the back wall, personally inscribing the plaque ‘Kuaixue Hall.’ That’s how the whole complex got its name. Today, all three main halls are closed, their interiors unknown, but the stone carvings along the side corridors are visible. These east and west corridors contain 48 stone steles—the Kuaixue engravings. Starting with Wang Xizhi’s masterpiece, they include works by Wang Xianzhi of the Jin, Ouyang Xun, Huaisu, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan of the Tang, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, and Emperor Gaozong (Zhao Gou) of the Song, among over twenty famed calligraphers.
Daxitian (Great Western Paradise), also called Xitian Fanjing, stands on the north shore of Taiye Lake, east of Jingxin Studio. It is a temple blending Han and Tibetan styles, founded in the Ming Dynasty originally as a scripture printing workshop and then a lamasery. Abandoned by the early Qing, it was expanded and renovated in the 24th year of Qianlong (1759) and renamed Xitian Fanjing. In contrast to the western Xiaoxitian (Little Western Paradise), it became known as Daxitian, meaning a realm of purity. From south to north, its buildings are: the Huazangjie Archway, the Mountain Gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Daci Zhenru Hall, Huayan Qingjie, the Seven Buddha Pagoda Pavilion, and the Glazed Pavilion. In front of the Mountain Gate stands a tall, magnificent glazed archway, its base and openings made of white marble and its roof a glazed imitation of timber construction, similar in style and height to those at Zhaomiao Temple in Fragrant Hills and Wofo Temple in the Botanical Garden. The south panel reads ‘Huazang Jie’ (Realm of the Lotus Treasury) and the north ‘Xumi Chun’ (Spring on Mount Sumeru), so it’s also called the Huazangjie Archway. The craft is exquisite and splendid, and a pair of stone lions stands imposingly before it.
The Mountain Gate consists of three arched doorways with black glazed-tile hip-and-gable roofs trimmed in yellow, set in a wall of glazed bricks. The central doorway bears the plaque ‘Xitian Fanjing.’ On the glazed walls between the doors, dragon carvings are rendered with exceptional skill. In the center of the gate’s steps, the marble dragon-and-pearl relief on the central ramp stone is vibrant and lifelike. This white marble carving, delicate and finely executed, is a rare stonework treasure.
In the first courtyard, the Hall of Heavenly Kings stands in the center, housing a Maitreya Buddha with the Four Heavenly Kings and Skanda Bodhisattva on either side. Bell and drum towers flank east and west. By each tower is a stone pillar; the one by the bell tower is carved with the Medicine Buddha Sutra, the one by the drum tower with the Diamond Sutra. The Buddha images on the pillars are beautifully carved.
The second courtyard features Daci Zhenru Hall, built during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Its structural elements—great beams, brackets, rafters, upturned eaves, edge boards—are all made of golden-thread nanmu wood, making it the largest and best-preserved Ming-dynasty nanmu hall in China. The upper plaque reads ‘Daci Zhenru Baodian,’ and the lower horizontal plaque says ‘Huazang Hengchun.’ Inside are statues of the Three Buddhas, with the plaque ‘Henghe Yancheng.’ All plaques and couplets inside and out are in Emperor Qianlong’s calligraphy. The hall retains the natural color of the nanmu, unpainted and unadorned, a stark contrast to the vividly decorated Jile Shijie in Xiaoxitian. In front are exquisite white marble reliefs.
To the east and west, five-bay side halls with hip-and-gable roofs and green glazed tiles frame the main hall. Ancient trees soaring in the courtyard silently record the passing of every day and year at Daxitian.
Jingxin Studio, originally called Jingqing Studio, lies west of Daxitian. Built in the 22nd year of Qianlong (1757), it was the crown prince’s study. Drawing on Jiangnan garden design, it artfully combines pavilions, towers, bridges, flowing water, rockeries, and grottoes—a charming garden within a garden. Its main structures include Jingqing Studio, Yunqin Studio, Baosu Study, Zhenluan Pavilion, Diecui Tower, and Qinquan Corridor. Entering, you face Jingqing Studio, which sits above water on two sides. In the pool out front, a small lake rock looks like little animals frolicking on the surface, blending motion and stillness with playful charm. Beyond the studio, a winding waterway is encircled by Taihu rocks and elegant buildings, all linked by bridges, corridors, and paths, each turn revealing a new vista—an ideal place to calm the mind.
Leaving Jingxin Studio and heading south on the East Bank, you’ll see Xiancan Altar (the Altar of Sericulture) on the left, where Qing empresses and concubines worshipped the silkworm goddess, one of Beijing’s ‘Nine Altars and Eight Temples,’ now closed. Further south, to the left, a hidden stone-paved path through the woods leads to Huafang Study. This secluded courtyard, tucked in the trees, is so well hidden that many frequent Beihai visitors don’t know it exists. Built in 1757, the front hall is ‘Chunyu Lintang,’ with a square pool, and the main hall to the north is ‘Huafang Study.’ To the east is ‘Guke Garden,’ and to the west ‘Xiao Linglong.’ Surrounded by red corridors and intricately designed, the whole complex resembles a large boat moored by Beihai’s shore. The front hall’s front plaque reads ‘Chunyu Lintang,’ and the back ‘Kongshui Chengxian.’ Beyond the pool lies the main hall Huafang Study, flanked by Jingxiang and Guanmiao side halls, all wrapped in covered walkways. The northwest courtyard—Xiao Linglong—is closed; the northeast is Guke Garden, where a lush, thousand-year-old Chinese scholar tree stands before it.
South of Huafang Study, a woodland fork: right leads to the main East Bank path, left to Haopu Garden—another garden within a garden. At the entrance stands a single-arch stone memorial gate, made of bluestone imitating timber, with delicate, exquisite carving. The front bears a couplet by Emperor Qianlong: ‘Lush grass in fine rain brings full vitality; pine peaks veiled in cloud deepen the painterly mood,’ with the horizontal inscription ‘Shore orchids and bank irises breathe fragrance.’ On the back: ‘Long days, pavilions and terraces cool and quiet; after rain, flowers and trees elegant and fresh,’ and the lintel says ‘Mountain hues and rippling light form a painting.’ This gate felt familiar—doesn’t it resemble the one at the Bridge of Knowing Fish in the Garden of Harmonious Interest at the Summer Palace? Passing through, a zigzag bridge divides the emerald pond in two, ending at a waterside pavilion—Haopu Garden. This open pavilion has sixteen outer columns and eight inner ones, with a plaque ‘Haopu Jian’ and inside hangs ‘Huzhong Yunshi.’ Walking through and up along a hill corridor, you pass Chongjiao Chamber and Yunxiu Nunnery before exiting through the palace gate.
Continuing south along the East Bank, the Five-Dragon Pavilion, Daxitian, Xiaoxitian, Chanfu Temple, and other structures on the far shore peek through the greenery, while the deep blue waters of Taiye Lake ripple gently. With the White Pagoda in view, I exited through the South Gate.
Tuancheng (Round City) lies west of the South Gate, now a separate attraction requiring a 1-yuan ticket. Known as the ‘world’s smallest castle,’ it rises 4.6 meters above ground—tiny but packed with treasures. Originally an islet in Taiye Lake, during the Yuan Dynasty the Yitian Hall was built on it; in the Ming Dynasty, it was renovated and renamed Chengguang Hall, and walls were added, forming the rudiments of Tuancheng. Major reconstructions under Qianlong added the Jade Urn Pavilion. Ascending the steps, the first treasure you see is a tall, lush white-bark pine—the ‘White-Robe General,’ so named by Emperor Qianlong and said to be over 800 years old. In the Jade Urn Pavilion, another treasure—a giant jade basin, now under glass—is a colossal wine vessel from the Yuan Dynasty, the earliest surviving oversized jade carving and a peak of Yuan craftsmanship. At the center, the main hall Chengguang Hall faces south, square with double eaves, yellow tiles with green trim, and four protruding porches. Inside is a tribute jade Buddha from Tibet of the Jiaqing reign, carved from a single block of white jade, smooth and lustrous, its robe and crown inlaid with gems—a third treasure. East of the hall stands a tall, ancient Chinese pine—the ‘Shade Marquis’—another of Tuancheng’s treasures, with a gnarled, vigorous canopy like a giant umbrella, around 700 years old, also named by Qianlong. With Tuancheng explored, my Beihai Park journey concluded.
