Beihai Park

Coordinates: 39°55′28″N 116°22′59″E / 39.92444°N 116.38306°E / 39.92444; 116.38306
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

39°55′28″N 116°22′59″E / 39.92444°N 116.38306°E / 39.92444; 116.38306

Beihai Park
北海公园
The White Dagoba (a stupa) on Jade Flower Island
Beihai Park is located in Beijing
Beihai Park
Beihai Park
Beihai Park is located in China
Beihai Park
Beihai Park
TypeUrban park
LocationBeijing, China
Area71 hectares (180 acres)[citation needed]
Created1179 (first park)
1925 (modern park)
Owned byBeijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks
StatusOpen all year
Beihai Park
Hanyu Pinyin
Běihǎi Gōngyuán
Wade–GilesPei3-hai3 Kung1-yüan2
IPA[pèɪxàɪ kʊ́ŋ.ɥɛ̌n]

Beihai Park is a

public park and former imperial garden immediately northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China
.

First built in the 12th century, Beihai is among the largest of all surviving

its famously porous stones. Beihai Park itself is now reckoned one of the masterpieces of Chinese gardening and landscaping.[1]

The present park has an area of around 71 hectares (180 acres) with a lake that covers more than half of its area. At its center is Jade Flower Island (

s , Qiónghuádǎo), whose highest point is 32 meters (105 ft). The park's lake is connected at its northern end to the Shichahai
.

Name

"Beihai" is the

paramount leaders
.

History

In 1179,

s , Dàníng Gōng) was erected on Jade Flower Island in the lake.[3]

During the reign of

Mongol Yuan dynasty, the island was redesigned by various architects and officials including Liu Bingzhong, Guo Shoujing, and Amir al-Din.[4][5] Taiye Lake was enclosed within the walls of the Imperial City of the Yuan Empire's new capital Khanbaliq
.

The Ming dynasty was initially based at Nanjing but moved to Beijing under the Yongle Emperor, with construction of his palace complex beginning in 1406. At this time, Taiye Lake was divided by bridges into three lakes described as the "Northern", "Central", and "Southern Seas". These lakes formed part of an extensive royal estate within the Imperial City called the Western Garden (西苑, Xīyuàn).

In 1747, the Qianlong Emperor ordered that three rare calligraphy works made by Wang Xizhi, Wang Xianzhi, and Wang Xun then housed within the Hall of Mental Cultivation along with 134 other calligraphic works from the Imperial Collection were to be carved into stone and displayed at the Pavilion of Reviewing the Past beside Beihai.[6][7][8]

Notable places

Beihai Park includes several Buddhist temples within its grounds, including the Temple of Everlasting Peace (, Yǒng'ān Sì) and the Chanfu Temple.

The White Dagoba or Pagoda (

cremation. Sun, moon, and flame engravings decorate the surface of the tower. Destroyed by the 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake, it was rebuilt the following year. Damage from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake
was repaired the same year.

On the lake's north bank lies the Five Dragon Pavilions, five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves, built under the Ming.[10]

The Nine-Dragon Wall lies north of the Five Dragon Pavilions. It was built in 1402 and is one of three walls of its kind in China. It is made of glazed bricks in seven colors. Nine complete dragons playing in the clouds decorate both sides of the wall.

Many smaller gardens exist throughout the park. The Jingxin or Quieting Heart Room is a garden on the north bank that covers more than 4,000 square meters (43,056 sq ft).

The Hall of Received Light (Chengguangdian) is the main structure in the Round City (

white jade inlaid with precious stones. The Eight-Nation Alliance damaged the statue's left arm during the 1900 Battle of Beijing
.

The

Legacy

The

Slender West Lake Scenic Area were self-consciously modeled on Beihai Park's Five Dragon Pavilions and White Dagoba to curry favor with the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors during their southern tours of Jiangnan in the 18th century.[11]

Gallery

  • The park bridge in 1910
    The park bridge in 1910
  • Jade Flower Island
    Jade Flower Island
  • The White Dagoba
    The White Dagoba
  • The Five-Dragon Pavilions
    The Five-Dragon Pavilions
  • One of the dragon pavilions
    One of the dragon pavilions
  • Pavilion of Sharing Coolness
    Pavilion of Sharing Coolness
  • The Daci Zhenru Hall
    The Daci Zhenru Hall
  • The entrance to the Chanfu Temple
    The entrance to the Chanfu Temple
  • Xiaoxitian
    Xiaoxitian
  • The Miaoxiang Pavilion
    The Miaoxiang Pavilion
  • The Nine-Dragon Wall
    The Nine-Dragon Wall
  • The Nine-Dragon Wall (detail)
    The Nine-Dragon Wall (detail)
  • Chinese gardens are found throughout the park
    Chinese gardens are found throughout the park
  • Lotuses in the park
    Lotuses in the park
  • Bridge and Rockery at the Studio of Mental Serenity
    Bridge and Rockery at the Studio of Mental Serenity
  • Western Paradise in the park
    Western Paradise in the park

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^
    UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2008-09-03. Archived from the original
    on 2007-07-02.
  2. ^ Du, Pengfei & al. "History of Water Supply in Pre-Modern China" from Evolution of Water Supply through the Millennia, pp. 169 ff. Accessed 16 November 2013.
  3. ^ Rinaldi, Bianca. The Chinese Garden: Garden Types for Contemporary Landscape Architecture, p. 137. Walter de Gruyter, 2011. Accessed 16 November 2013.
  4. ^ Steinhardt, Nancy Riva Shatzman (1981). Imperial Architecture under Mongolian Patronage: Khubilai's Imperial City of Daidu. Harvard University. p. 222.
  5. ^ "Yeheidie'erding" (Amir al-Din) in Bai Shouyi, Zhongguo Huihui minzu shi. Yang Huaizhong. pp. 813–818.
  6. .
  7. ^ "Letter to Boyuan in Running Script|The Palace Museum". en.dpm.org.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. ^ "Top 10 calligraphy masterpieces of ancient China - China.org.cn". www.china.org.cn. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  9. ^ "White Pagoda of Beihai Park". www.beijingservice.com. Retrieved 2023-06-11.
  10. ^ "Beijing White Pagoda Temple". www.china-tour.cn/.
  11. ^ Olivová (2009), p. 9.

Bibliography

External links