Fragrant Hills Park is a popular park on the outskirts of Beijing, in the westerly Haidian District. It covers an area of 160 hectares (1.6 square km). The park was first created in 1186 by the Jin Dynasty and expanded by subsequent dynasties.  Along with the old and new Summer Palaces, the park suffered extensive damage from looting by foreign armies first in 1860 and again in the wake of the Boxer Uprising of 1900.  The park, including its many temples and pavilions, has never recovered its former splendor.

After 1949, large-scale restoration took place and now the Fragrant Hills Park is a popular tourist destination in late autumn for holidaymakers when the smoke tree leaves redden.

The main trees in the park are natural pine-cypress, along with maple, smoke-leaf and persimmon trees. The brilliant foliage is the main attraction for visitors. No one is sure where the smoke trees originated though legend has it that a south wind carried the seeds of the red-leaved trees to Beijing. The surviving seeds blossomed and thrived, and as the years passed they grew into a beautiful forest.  Another story goes that the smoke trees were transplanted to the area by Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) in the Qing Dynasty. Every November the frosted leaves of these trees, along with the persimmons and maples, spread over the Fragrant Hills like a thick red blanket. For two centuries, it has been a resort for the residents in Beijing and a good way to get out of the city.

For photos of the Fragrant Hills Park, click here!