Park · BEIJING
Beihai Park
北海公园 · Běihǎi Gōngyuán
About
1,000-year-old imperial garden directly northwest of the Forbidden City. Centred on Beihai Lake with the White Pagoda on Jade Flower Island.
Beihai Park has served as an imperial garden for over a millennium, with documented use from the Liao dynasty (10th century) through Kublai Khan's Yuan capital (where it formed part of the palace precinct), the Ming, and the Qing. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved Chinese imperial garden complexes in the country. The 700,000-square-metre site is organised around Beihai Lake, which takes up more than half the total area, with Jade Flower Island rising from its centre.
The White Dagoba (Bai Ta) atop Jade Flower Island is the landmark. The current Tibetan-style stupa was built in 1651 to commemorate the first visit of the Fifth Dalai Lama to Beijing and was reconstructed after earthquake damage in 1679 and again in 1731. It is visible from several kilometres across the city's older northern districts and is the defining image of Beihai. The island also contains the Yong'an Temple, a Buddhist complex with multiple halls connected by a covered corridor that zigzags up the hillside. On the north shore, the Five Dragon Pavilions are a row of linked wooden pavilions extending out over the lake — their curved rooflines are the classic Beihai photograph after the White Dagoba. The Nine-Dragon Wall, a 25-metre-long glazed-tile screen showing nine dragons, stands near the north gate and is one of three remaining such walls in China.
The park fills with locals doing morning exercises, tai chi, and ballroom dancing from opening time; later in the day tourist groups arrive. Rowboats and pedal boats are available for hire from spring through autumn. A combined with Jingshan Park immediately to the south and the northern wall of the Forbidden City makes for a natural half-day circuit of the northern imperial zone.
How to get there
Metro Line 6 to Beihai North.
When to visit
Morning for tai chi practitioners; sunset for the White Pagoda silhouette.
Other attractions in Beijing
Itineraries featuring this site
- Beijing 3-day blitz — first-timer fast pass
3d · Three full days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven and the hutong lanes — the absolute core of the capital for visitors with limited time.
- Beijing weekend — 3 days in the capital
3d · Three days in Beijing covering the Forbidden City, Great Wall at Mutianyu and the Temple of Heaven — the irreducible core of the capital, managed at a pace that avoids pure exhaustion.
- Beijing in 4 days
4d · Forbidden City, Wall, Temple of Heaven, hutongs, museums.
- One week China classics — Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai
7d · The first-time-traveller's loop: imperial Beijing, the Terracotta Army at Xi'an, Shanghai's skyline. Connected by overnight train or short HSR.
Other parks in China
- Black Dragon Pool黑龙潭
Spring-fed pool in Lijiang with a five-arch white bridge and a clear-day view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reflected in the water.
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding成都大熊猫繁育研究基地
100+ giant pandas across multiple enclosures, 30 minutes north of central Chengdu. Visit before 10am for the active feeding period.
- Dujiangyan Panda Base都江堰熊猫基地
Quieter alternative to the Chengdu panda base, 60 km west. Smaller scale; volunteer programmes for international visitors.
- Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan)香山
Forested hills in the northwest suburbs. Famous for the maple-and-smoke-tree autumn leaves; cable car to the summit.
- Hong Kong Ocean Park海洋公园
Older theme park on the south side of Hong Kong Island. Marine animals, mountain-and-coast roller coasters, a panda enclosure.
- Houhai Lakes后海
Three connected lakes in central Beijing, ringed by hutong neighbourhoods, courtyard bars and the Drum and Bell Towers.
- Jingshan Park景山公园
Artificial hill directly north of the Forbidden City, built from earth excavated for the palace moat. The aerial view from the top is the canonical Forbidden City photograph.
- Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park亚龙湾热带天堂森林公园
1,506-hectare tropical rainforest park behind Yalong Bay. Featured in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's bamboo forest scene.
Related reading
- Mid-Autumn Festival — the cultural context
Blog · Mid-Autumn Festival's cultural context — Chang'e and Hou Yi, the Mongol-resistance mooncake story, the full-moon viewing tradition, and where to celebrate in 2026.
- Beijing's deeper history
Blog · Beijing has been an imperial capital, on and off, since the 10th century. What's still visible from the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties — and what was demolished after 1949.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Beihai Park cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Beihai Park is ¥10, ¥5 for children. Through-ticket ¥20.
- When is Beihai Park open?
- Beihai Park opening hours: 6:30am–9pm Apr–Oct; 6:30am–8pm Nov–Mar.
- How long do you need at Beihai Park?
- Allow 2–3 hours for Beihai Park. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Beihai Park?
- Morning for tai chi practitioners; sunset for the White Pagoda silhouette.
- How do you get to Beihai Park?
- Metro Line 6 to Beihai North.
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