Beihai Park is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Beijing and is located near to the Forbidden City. It occupies more than 68 hectares, with more than half taken up by the lake. It is considered a great example of Chinese gardening and architecture, taking influence form some of the great gardens of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

In the early 10th century, the emperor of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) built an imperial residence here, which was called Yaoyu Garden or Jade Islet.  During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) the park was greatly enlarged by Kublai Khan, who held court here in his new capital, Dadu. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) saw more construction and renovation: the Five-Dragon Pavilions and the Nine – Dragon Screen on the north bank of the lake and many pavilions and galleries were built during this period. The White Dagoba was built by the first Qing emperor, Shunzhi, in 1651 to show his faith in Tibetan Buddhism as well as desire to unite all ethnic groups in China.

From the White Dagoba, people can enjoy a view over the rest of Beihai Park and much of central Beijing. Beihai Park is also the site of the most famous Nine-Dragon Screen in China as well as statues of Buddha in the Circular City building.

For photos of Beihai Park, click here!