Top 10 of Beijing in my eyes:Classical Gardens and the Famous Food
Top 10 of Beijing in my eyes:Classical Gardens and the Famous Food
Beijing Olympic Games has entered the countdown.I would like to introduce the last three to Beijing must-go place.Today to introduce the classical gardens and famous food.The next introduction also is other gardens and foods.
Countdown started 10
Jing Shan Park
Jingshan Park, the highest point in Beijing City was built in 1179 during the Jin Dynasty and has a history of more than 800 years. This Park is located directly to the north of the Forbidden City’s Shenwu Gate. Visitors will discover that Beihai Park is located directly to the west of Jingshan Park. Further north again from Jingshan Park, the Bell and Drum Towers are located at the top of Di An Men Street
Inside Jingshan Park, an area of approximately 57 acres, is an Hill which rises to a height of 48 metres, and from its top visitors can oversight the entire city of Beijing. Jingshan Hill was built in 1420 during the Ming Dynasty and was initially called ‘Long Live Hill’ and then later was named ‘Zhen Hill’. In later periods coal was piled at the foot of the hill and it became known as ‘Mei Shan’ (Coal Hill). However in 1655 during the Qing Dynasty the name was changed to Jingshan Hill, the name by which it is known today.
Jingshan Park is a beautiful imperial park and in former times belonged only to the emperors in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1271-1911). For their enjoyment they used to climb the hill, admire the scenery and eat and drink in the park.
On the summit of Jingshan Hill five scenery viewing pavilions were built, and from these the visitor can clearly see the layout of the Forbidden City. The highest pavilion is called Wanchun Pavilion (Ten thousand springs pavilion), and there are four other pavilions, two each on the east and west sides respectively of Jingshan Hill. Each of these pavilions contained a copper Buddha symbolizing the five kinds of tastes: acid, spicy, bitter, sweet and salty. However, in 1900 the Allied Forces of the Eight Powers looted four of these five Buddhas, and the fifth one was destroyed. The replacement Buddhas now seen in each pavilion were made in 1999.
At the northern foot of Jingshan Hill is the Shouhuang Palace (Hall of Imperial Longevity), a special place to pay respects to the ancestors of the imperial family. To the east of the Shouhuang Palace are located the Yongsi and the Guande Palaces which were used to let the bodies of the dead emperors and empresses of the Qing Dynasty lie in state. Today the Shouhuang Palace is used as the Children’s Palace of Beijing.On 17 March 1644 the last Ming Emperor Chongzhen was forced to flee to the eastern foot of Jingshan Hill where he hanged himself from a pagoda tree when the forces of Li Zi cheng captured the inner city of Peking (Beijing today). The original pagoda tree no longer exists, but the replacement tree has an historical storyboard attached to it to explain that era of Ming Dynasty history.
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Government has built many structures for the providing of services, and has also repaired some of the ancient buildings. In addition, many tall trees have been planted inside the park to restore it to its former beauty.
In recent years many shows have been held in the Jingshan Park, where there have been exhibitions of fish and flowers, notably the beautiful peonies for which the Park is famous. The best time for viewing the more than 200 varieties of peonies inside the park is from late April to mid-May. Visitors will really enjoy these displays.
Contact
Address：1 Wenjin Street,, Xicheng District
Post code：100034
Tel：64044071
Attention:
JingShan is famous for its peonies. They have been planted in Jingshan since the Yuan Dynasty. Today the park has more than 1,000 peonies in 100 varietes The best time for viewing peonies inside the park is from late April to mid-May.
Bei Hai Park
with the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park to its east, Zhong Nan Hai (Central and South Seas) to its south, Beihai (North Sea) Park is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens in China located in the center of Beijing. This ancient garden, with over 1,000 years’ history, is not only a classic combination of the grandiosity of the northern gardens and the refinement of the southern gardens in China, but also a perfect integration of magnificent imperial palaces and solemn religious constructions.
History of Beihai Park
Beihai Park is said to be built according to a traditional Chinese legend. The story is that once upon a time there were three magic mountains called ‘Penglai’, ‘Yingzhou’ and ‘Fangzhang’ located to the east of Bohai Bay (to the east of China). Gods in those mountains had a kind of herbal medicine which would help humans gain immortality.
Consequently, many emperors in the feudal age of China constantly sought those mountains. For example, Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 – 206 B.C.), wanted to live an eternal life and had sent people to look for the magic mountains but they failed. Then at his palace, he dug a large pool and piled up three earth hills in it to imitate the circumstances described in the legend. Emperor Wudi, the fifth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 8 A.D.) did similar things.
It was believed that different mountain-water combinations in ancient Chinese architecture led to totally different effects. So from then on, almost every emperor during the succeeding dynasties would build a royal garden with one-pool-with-three-hills’ layout as a fairyland near his palace. Beihai Park was surely built after this traditional style: the water of Beihai (North Sea) with Zhong Nan Hai (Central and South Seas) is the Taiye Pool; the Jade Flowery (Qionghua) Islet, the island of the Circular City and the Xishantai Island represent the three magic mountains.
Actually, Beihai Park was initially built in the Liao Dynasty (916 – 1125) and was repaired and rebuilt in the following dynasties including Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing (1115 – 1911). The large-scale rebuilding in the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911) generally established the present scale and pattern of Beihai Park. In 1925, the park was first opened to the public, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world every year.
Touring Beihai Park
Beihai Park covers an area of about 0.71 sq km (about 0.27 sq miles), more than half of which is taken up by the lake. In the middle of the lake and on the central axis of the whole park lies the Jade Flowery Islet, topped by the imposing White Dagoba which is the landmark of Beihai Park. Besides the Jade Flowery Islet, the park has four main scenic areas: the Eastern Shore Area, the Northern Shore Area, the Botanical Garden and the Circular City near the north gate. There are many famous and beautiful places you should not miss when touring Beihai Park.
White Dagoba
On top of the Jade Flowery Islet, the White Dagoba was built in 1651 on the former site of the Palace in the Moon where Kublai Khan received Marco Polo. At the suggestion of a famous Tibetan lama, Emperor Shunzhi, the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty agreed to build such a Tibetan dagoba to show his belief in Buddhism and his desire for the unification among various Chinese ethnic groups. The White Dagoba was destroyed in an earthquake and reconstructed twice. Now, resting on a huge stone base, it stands 35.9 meters (about 118 feet) high and is capped by two bronze umbrella-like canopies, with 14 bronze bells hanging around them. Inside, the dagoba holds the Buddhist Scriptures, the monk’s mantle and alms bowl and two pieces of Sarira. Since the White Dagoba is the highest point in Beihai Park, it served as a vantage point with a beautiful view of the whole park.
In front of the White Dagoba is the White Dagoba Temple. There are several other buildings and halls you could visit if you have enough time. These include Zhengjue Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Stone Tablets of ‘Qiongdao Chunyin’ (means the beautiful scenery of the Jade Flowery Islet in spring; inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty) etc, all scattered on the slope of the Qionghua Islet.
Nine-Dragon Screen
To the northwest lies the well-known Nine-Dragon Screen, which is the only screen having nine huge dragons on both sides among the most famous three Nine-Dragon Screens in China (the other two are respectively in the Forbidden City and Datong, Shanxi Province). Built in 1756, the Nine-Dragon Screen is about 27 meters (about 88.6 feet) long, 6.65 meters (about 21.8 feet) high and 1.42 meters (4.66 feet) thick. It is composed of 424 seven-color glazed tiles that embossing the screen. There are nine huge coiling dragons on each side of the screen and big or small dragons in different postures decorating the two ends and the eaves, making a surprising total of 635 dragons. Even after 200 years, the Nine-Dragon Screen is still bright in color and complete in appearance, showing the high techniques of Chinese arts and crafts in ancient times.
Five-Dragon Pavilions
To the southwest of the Nine-Dragon Screen lies the Five-Dragon Pavilions – five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves. From a distance, they appear together like a huge dragon. Built first in 1602 and repaired several times in Qing Dynasty, these five pavilions, half over the water, stand on the north bank of the lake opposite the Jade Flowery Islet. There are many exquisite carvings and paintings on the girders and pillars of the pavilions which make the Five-Dragon Pavilions a delightful place for the royal members in ancient China to relax and appreciate the natural beauty.
You can stand in the Five-Dragon Pavilions to see the Jade Flowery Islet with the gleaming White Dagoba standing in the exuberance of trees, flowers and various other plants. There are also many other worthwhile places to visit around the Five-Dragon Pavilions including the Heavenly King Hall, Chengguan Hall and the Temple of Little Western Skies, a famous Buddhist architecture.
Circular City
Finally you can visit the Circular City right at the southwestern corner of Beihai Park. The city wall stands about 4.6 meters (about 15 feet) high and has a circumference of 276 meters (about 906 feet). Among the various places to visit in the Circular City including halls, towers and pavilions, the most important construction is the Chengguang Hall which holds the extremely precious white jade statue of Buddha introduced from Burma at the end of Qing Dynasty. In front of the hall is a grand urn made of variegated dark jade. With a diameter of 1.5 meters (about 4.9 feet), a circumference of 5 meters (about 16.4 feet), a height of 0.7 meters (about 2.3 feet) and a weighing 3.5 tons, the urn used to be the vessel of Kublai Khan for storing wine.
While visiting these famous and interesting places in Beihai Park, you could have a meal and rest in Fangshan Restaurant located at the northern shore of the lake. This restaurant was started in 1925 by a cook who formerly worked in the Qing court, so the food there is said to be of delicious imperial flavor.
Besides these places of interest in Beihai Park, there are plenty of exhibitions to see. These include the yearly exhibition of water lilies and other water plants in the Botanical Garden, the exhibition of peonies, and varied picture shows, making Beihai Park not only the center of history and culture in Beijing, but also the center of ecological and natural beauty. Now, an ancient but modern Beihai Park welcomes you from all over the world.
Contact
Address: 1 Wenjinjie, north-western corner of Forbidden City, Beijing
Phone: +86 (0)10 6403 3225
Website: http://www.beihaipark.com.cn
Attention:
1.There is a restaurant called Fangshan(Imitate Royal Cuisine) Restaurant at north bank of Qionghua Islet. The food is presented in the style of the imperial court with the dishes replicating the imperial cuisine.About 150 RMB/ person.
2.Boating on BeiHai Lake is great.
Beijing Bean Paste Noodles
Beijing Bean Paste Noodles(Zha Jiang Mian) is a treat not to be missed. Although customarily made from diced pork fried in a thick brown bean sauce, most restaurants now just use ground pork. The noodles should be hand rolled. Delicious and filling for a snack or a meal, this dish is a favorite in Beijing homes.It consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of zhajiang (a salty black soybean paste), diced meat and vegetables, and sometimes also seafood.
It is originated from a Chinese dish, but the version familiar to Koreans is usually only found in Chinese restaurants in Korea or those serving Korean customers. This dish is also available in other countries where there is a large Korean population.
In China (or at least in the Beijing region), authentic Zha Jiang Mian can be found, prepared with a different sauce and ground pork rather than seafood. The name of this Chinese dish is zhajiangmian (炸醬麵, literally “fried sauce noodles”). Although spelled differently, the pronunciation of the name of the Chinese dish is nearly identical to that of its Korean counterpart. Despite the similar ingredients, due to its thick sauce, jajangmyeon looks darker and has a different taste than the original, zhajiangmian.
I introduced that how to cook Beijing Bean Paste Noodles some time ago.If you want to see ,here is the link.Beijing Bean Paste Noodles
