Beihai Park – Features of Beihai Park

Beihai is one of the oldest and most well-preserved classical royal gardens, with a history of more than 850 years. Today we look at some of the architecture features scattered around the massive park like a string of pearls, each with its own story to tell.¹

The Five Dragon Pavilions is one of the few remaining Ming buildings in the Park. The rest have been rebuilt or altered during the Qing dynasty.

Five Dragon Pavilions 五龙亭

Built in 22nd year of Ming Jiajing reign (1543), the waterborne Five Dragon Pavilions 五龙亭 were first designed as a place where the emperor could enjoy fishing and appreciating the enchanting evening with their concubines or close ministers. These days they’re the haunt of singers and ballroom dancers.

In the middle stands the Longze Pavilion 龙泽亭 (Pavilion of Divine Auspiciousness), west to which are Yongrui Pavilion 涌瑞亭 (Pavilion of Gushing Auspiciousness) and Fucui Pavilion 浮翠亭 (Pavilion of Floating Verdure) while to its east stand Chengxiang Pavilion 澄祥亭 (Pavilion of Serene Auspiciousness) and Zixiang Pavilion 滋香亭 (Pavilion of Permeating Fragrance).

Longze Pavilion 龙泽亭, or Pavilion of Divine Auspiciousness, is the largest among the five pavilions. It is also the only one with a rounded roof. In 28th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong reign (1763), a stone bridge with stone side boards and pillars was built in place of the original wooden arc bridges.

The caisson 藻井 under the roof of Longzhe Pavilion has been restored to its former glory. The carved dragon seems to be leaping out of the roof, the illusion reinforced by the symmetrical patterns under the dome. Caissons were highly decorative and only included in important or highly decorated buildings.

These charming pavilions with pointed rooftops and upswept eaves extend out over the water and are interconnected by zig-zagging stone bridges that resembled a swimming dragon.

This is a popular spot for locals to play music and sing in many different styles, often with traditional instruments. Sometimes two or three of the pavilions are alive with music simultaneously.

Yong’an Bridge 永安橋 (堆雲積翠橋)

Duiyun Jicui Bridge 堆云积翠桥, or “Bridge of Gathering Clouds and Accumulating Jade”, aka Yong’an Bridge 永安桥, is located between Jade Islet 琼华岛 and Round City 团城, and is a necessary passage to connect the two islands. It was built in the third year of Yuan Zhiyuan (1267) as wooden bridge², and converted into a stone bridge by Emperor Qianlong in the 8th year of his reign (1743).

The original name was no longer known, but during Ming dynasty it was called Taiye Bridge 太液橋 after the lake. As there’s a pailou at either end of the bridge named Duiyun “堆雲” (Gathering Clouds) and Jicui “積翠” (Accumulating Jade), hence it was also called Duiyun Jicui Bridge 堆云积翠桥. After Qianlong renamed the White Dagoba Temple to Yong’an Temple, the bridge was also known as Yong’an Bridge. ³

Beyond the pailou, there is a pair of stone lions facing inwards. The pair of stone lions outside the north pailou of the bridge are very close to the mountain gate of Yong’an Temple. Hence there’s no pair of lions in front of the temple mountain gate, which is contrary to the conventional pattern. ⁴

Nine Dragon Screen 九龙壁

Built in 1756, the Nine-Dragon Screen 九龍壁⁵ in Beihai Park is one of the three famous screens in China⁶, and the only one that features dragons on both sides. The dragons are depicted frolicking in clouds above the sea. Two centuries of exposure to the elements have failed to alter the colors or lustre of this magnificent work of art.

This glazed-tile screen is 5m high, 27m wide and 1.2m thick. The two sides are identical; each has nine dragons sculpted in relief in five colours. The digit 9 is the highest value digit and associated with heaven and the emperor, as in 九五至尊 “Nine-Five Supreme”. You can read more about the Chinese dragon in my Year of Dragon post.

Zhendi Gate 真谛门

Next to the Nine Dragon Screen is Zhendi Gate 真谛门, or “Gate of Truth”, which is next to Western Heaven Temple. This gate led to the West Wing of the Western Heaven Temple that housed Perfect Mirror-Like Wisdom Hall 大圆镜智宝殿 and the Sutra Print 经板库. This place was sacked by the Eight-Nations Alliance in 1900 and then built down by a freak fire (by the then fire department making lunch) in 1919.⁷

In 1920, it was converted to a sports area by Republic of China. In 1996, this space was sold a private property developer and this new gate was built. Unfortunately this space was left undeveloped since the was dispute on how this space is going to be used. ⁸

Iron Screen Wall 铁壁墙

Built in the Yuan Dynasty (1277-1368), this screen wall is carved out of volcanic conglomerate. The colour and texture give it the appearance of iron, hence the name.⁹ It is 1.89m high, 3.56m long and has relief carvings of animal and cloud patterns in simple and classical style on both sides.

It used to be the screen wall in front of a temple outside Jiande Gate (today’ s Desheng Gate 德胜门); at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was relocated to the Huguo Desheng Nunnery inside the Desheng Gate (today’ s Tieyingbi Hutong 铁影壁胡同). In 1947, the screen wall was moved to Beihai Park. In 1986, the base of the screen wall was brought back from Tieyingbi Hutong and reunited with the screen.¹⁰

Round City 团城

There’s one more sight worth a visit at the South Gate of the park called Round City 团城. Originally the site of Kublai Khan’s palace in the Yuan dynasty¹¹, today it features a circular structure with a 5-meter-high wall enclosing halls, pavilions, and ancient trees and covers an area of 4,553 m².¹² Unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit the place as I missed the last entry time (at 5pm).

The mound of the Round City is made with earth ramming and the wall is made of concrete bricks, with a gate tower on each gate. The only difference between the Round City walls and other ancient city walls is that it has no defensive function – it is just a bonsai version of a city built for royal enjoyment.¹³

The east gate named Zhaojing Gate and the west called Yanxiang Gate 衍祥门 , both the gate has a stair to the top of the city. There are gates along the Dengdao and the pattern of the city is exactly symmetrical.¹⁴

The most significant structure within the Round City is Chengguang Hall 承光殿, or Hall of Divine Light, which houses a white jade statue of Buddha from Burma. The current Chengguang Hall was rebuilt in 29th year of Qing Kangxi (1690), as the original was destroyed due to earthquake in 1679. It was expanded in Qing Qianlong 11th year (1746). ¹⁵

There are a number of ‘things’ in this park that have special significance, for example: The tree called the ‘White-Robed General” which legend has it, it was planted during the Jin Dynasty in 12th or 13th Century and the Jade Liquor Pot weighing 3,500 kg supposedly placed in its original position by Kublai Khan in the 13th century during the Yuan Dynasty.

The Round City is a well-preserved historical site, opened to the public in 1925. It is located next to the South Gate of Beihai Park and is accessible via the east and west gates located along its wall. There is separate entrance fee for the Round City but it’s worth the while when you are at Beihai Park.

Architecture Features

A paifang 牌坊, aka pailou 牌楼, is a traditional style of Chinese architecture, often used in arch or gateway structures. The architecture of pailou is influenced by Buddhist torana temple gates. The normal places where such archways stood were thoroughfare crossroads, shrines and temples, government offices, bridges, parks, tombs and mausoleumns, and they generally carried inscriptions to propagate certain moral principles or to extol government achievements.

The caisson 藻井 on the ceiling under the roof of these pavilions is a masterpiece that is often overlooked by the passing tourists. The caisson is a richly decorated sunken ‘dome’ with a round top and a square bottom set into the ceiling and assembled by a large set of small wooden pieces called dougong 斗栱 using pure face-to-face contact connections.

The dougong 斗栱 is a system of brackets unique to traditional Chinese architecture. These brackets, arranged like baskets of flowers, are set under the overhanging eaves, adding to the sumptuous magnificence of the buildings.

The beams and ceilings of all the buildings are very elaborately decorated with wooden carvings, paintings and gold emboss. Despite the huge number of buildings in the park, the decorations have very fine detail. Most of the decorations feature dragons, the symbol of the emperor. 

About Beihai Park 北海公园

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Beihai Park 北海公園 was originally Beihai 北海, or North Sea, of the “Three Seas of the Imperial Western Gardens” 西苑三海 of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is located within the Imperial City, northwest of the Forbidden City, and was the royal garden only for enjoyment by the royal family of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, spanning across a period of almost a thousand year. In 1925, it was opened to the public as a park. 

As with many of Chinese imperial gardens, Beihai was designed to imitate renowned scenic spots and architecture from various regions of China, particularly Jiangnan around the Yangtze Delta. Various aspects of the park evoke the elaborate pavilions and canals of Hangzhou and Yangzhou, the delicate gardens of Suzhou, and the natural scenery around Lake Tai with its famously porous stones. Beihai Park itself is now reckoned one of the masterpieces of Chinese gardening and landscaping.

The park is opened all year round, and can be accessed from four gates, two on the southern end (West and South gates), one in the north (North gate) and one on the east side (East gate). The park would need at least 4 hours to see everything.

Opening hours for the park are 6am – 9pm (peak season, Apr-Oct), 6.30am – 8pm (off peak, Nov-Mar); Opening hours for the attractions are 8am – 6pm (peak season), 8.30am – 5.30pm (off peak)

Visited May 2023

Footnotes :

1. 北海是现存历史最悠久，格局保存最完整的古典皇家园林之一，有着850余年的历史。北海的古建筑在一定程度上见证着北海的历史进程和格局变迁。古建筑中的亭，桥，牌楼更如同沧海遗珠一般的遍布了全园各处向您诉说着历史。讲述着文化。在园志中记载，北海公园曾有亭49座，大部分遗留至今。因为各种需要建造的桥达32座之多，最长144米（原长），最短0.57米。而北海的牌楼有木牌楼，琉璃牌楼和石牌楼，共有过25座，部分留存。本次展览从亭，桥，牌楼几种建筑形制中，选取其中的代表向您展示北海的建筑。From information display on site, 2023 ↩︎
2. 堆云积翠桥又称永安桥，位于琼华岛与团城之间，是连接两岛的必要通道。始建于元至元三年（1267年）。From information display on site, 2023 ↩︎
3. 堆雲積翠橋(永安寺橋)前身是元代的一座木桥，最早建於元至顺二年(1331年)，初建時橋名已無攷，據明孫國勅《燕都遊覽誌》記載，明時橋曾名太液橋，南北橋頭各立一座木製橋牌樓，北爲“堆雲”，南爲“積翠”，所以此橋也稱“堆雲積翠橋”。清初白塔寺建成，乾隆年間更名永安寺，乾隆八年改建堆雲積翠橋爲三曲折三孔拱券石橋，兩側有望柱48根。以後橋也稱爲永安(寺)橋了，橋南接團城，北連瓊華島，南北橋牌樓爲四柱三間，前後戧柱八根，綠琉璃瓦廡殿式頂，額枋爲和璽彩畫，與金鰲玉蝀橋牌樓規制相同。由於1930年代改造街面牌樓爲水泥柱結構時，這對牌樓在公園內，所以没改，至今仍保持着八根戧柱的木結構。https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_538fed5d0102wqfc.html ↩︎
4. 牌樓外各有一對石獅面向外蹲，橋北牌樓外石獅離永安寺山門較近，這就形成了廟宇山門前的石獅子頭朝裏了，有悖常規格局。1979年橋進行了全面整修和加固，橋面全部更新，並新裝莲花形望柱和荷葉圖案護欄板。每到夏季，橋畔大片荷花盛開之時，在藍天白雲下，“接天蓮葉無窮碧，映日荷花別樣紅”。荷花和三拱石橋、白塔相映成趣，美不勝收。https://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_538fed5d0102wqfc.html ↩︎
5. Aka Nine-Dragon Wall, it is a type of screen wall with reliefs of nine different Chinese dragons. Such walls are typically found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens. Early reference to the tradition of putting a screen wall at the gate is found in the Analects, 3:22: therein, it is mentioned as a trivial ritual norm (“The princes of States have a screen intercepting the view at their gates”. 邦君樹塞門, trans. by James Legge). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-Dragon_Wall ↩︎
6. The other two nine-dragon screens are at the Forbidden City although the one in Beihai was much older by 17 years. There is a third one in Datong, Shanxi which is the original (over 600 years old) and the biggest. The dragon claws on Datong Nine Dragon Screen have only four claws, which is different from those for emperors in the Forbidden City and Beihai Park of Beijing which have five claws. That is because Datong screen was built for Zhu Gui 朱桂 who was the thirteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang 朱元璋, the first Emperor of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). ↩︎
7. 若不是乾隆二十三年(1758年)的一场大火(建造中的琉璃塔遭雷击起火)，尚未完工的罗汉堂及后部殿宇等，也不至于全部被焚毁。但是，历史不容假设。北海罗汉堂焚毁后再未重建，而是改建成一座七间歇山顶大殿，名为“大圆镜智宝殿”，后院则建有四十三间转角库房，用于存放《大藏经》经板。于是，为罗汉堂建造的九龙壁，也就摇身成为“大圆镜智宝殿”的影壁。八国联军入侵北京时，大圆镜智宝殿受到严重破坏。1919年，大圆镜智宝殿又遭遇一次火灾，整座建筑全部化为灰烬，只留存真谛门与九龙壁。多少年后，初来乍到的游人们，干脆将九龙壁当作单体建筑来对待。 https://www.chinanews.com.cn/cul/2024/02-20/10166394.shtml ↩︎
8. 北京第四中级人民法院（下称“北京四中院”）于2022年8月3日发布的判决书显示，2018年7月3日，普基球会与天津中众签订关于盈通公司的股权转让协议，约定普基球会将盈通公司100%股权以7.13亿元的价格出售给天津中众。2018年8月22日，交易各方签订补充协议将交易金额上调至7.195亿元。http://m.eeo.com.cn/2024/0419/653678.shtml ↩︎
9. 元代遗物，壁呈棕褐色，由中性火山块砾岩雕成，因颜色和质地似铁，故称铁影壁。 From information display on site, 2023 ↩︎
10. 壁高1.89米，长3.56米，两面浅雕云纹异兽，刻工古朴浑厚。铁影壁原是建德门（今德胜门）内一古庙前的照壁。明初，此壁被移到德胜门内护国德胜庵前（今铁影壁胡同内）。1947年，壁身移至北海公园，1986年，北海公园从铁影壁胡同找回基座，终使这一文物得以完整复原。 From information display on site, 2023 ↩︎
11. 到了元代，这里成了太液池中一个观景游乐的小岛。元世祖忽必烈很欣赏这里，传说他登上这个被称为“瀛洲”的小岛，拈弓向东射了一箭，箭落之地便是建造大内宫殿之处。为了使小岛更有气派，特地在前朝旧殿基础上兴建了重檐圆顶，高11.7米，围27米的仪天殿，称“瀛洲圆殿”，象征神话中的仙岛；岛的四周也围起了石墙，称为“圆城”。在古汉语中，圆为虚、团为实，故后改称“团城”。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QkJClprt9 ↩︎
12. 团城原是太液池中的一个小岛，金代为大宁宫一部分，元代称圆坻，亦称瀛洲。这是一座砖筑的圆形小城，城台高4.6米，周长276米，全城面积为4553平方米。台上古木扶疏，殿堂华丽，是一座精巧别致的皇家小园林。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QkJClprt9 ↩︎
13. 团城的城墙，内用土夯，外用青砖包砌，墙垣高耸，垛堞整齐，城门上建有城门楼。它与其它古代城池唯一的不同是没有防御功能——它只是一座供皇家享乐，带有盆景意味的迷你版城池。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QkJClprt9 ↩︎
14. 团城之小，面积仅是故宫的三十三分之一，被称为世界上最小的袖珍古城。然而这座弹丸城池，从砖瓦木石到空间布局，都体现了古人的智慧。中国古代“天人合一”的自然哲学观、“天圆地方”的天地观、儒家礼制规划思想对于中国城市规划的影响无疑是重要的。即便是这小小的团城，我们也可以从中寻找到中国建筑规划思想的基因和血脉。
    团城的历史可以追溯到八百多年前的金中都。金灭辽后，金世宗完颜雍以琼华岛为中心建造太宁宫。由于古人把海市蜃楼当成了天上的琼楼玉宇，皇帝都想按照传说中的“蓬莱仙境”来建造离宫。北海园林正是根据我国古代神话故事《西王母传》中描写的仙境建造的，历经辽、金、元、明、清五代，逐步形成了今天的格局。团城四面环水，以前东西北三面有木吊桥，吊桥基本上是临时的，通过船来连接，皇帝上了团城即移舟断桥，以禁往来，确保安全，小岛宛如蓬莱仙境。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QkJClprt9 ↩︎
15. 明永乐十五年，明成祖朱棣重修仪天殿，改名“承光殿”，并在岛屿周围加筑城墙，将东南二处水面填为平地，西侧建起了金鳌玉蝀大石桥，奠定了今天团城的规模。清康熙十八年（1679年）承光殿毁于地震，11年后重建。乾隆十一年（1746年）再度扩建，就是我们现在看到的样子了。https://www.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/47QkJClprt9 ↩︎