Beihai Park

Beihai Park, literally the Northern Sea Garden, lies northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing and is among the oldest and best preserved imperial gardens in China. Its origins reach back to the Liao dynasty in the 11th century, the present lake with the central Qionghua island was laid out in 1179 and under Kublai Khan in the 13th century became the centre of his capital Dadu. The landmark is the gleaming white dagoba of 1651, a Tibetan-Buddhist style stupa raised for the visit of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Visitors today row on the lake, see the Nine Dragon Wall of glazed tiles and relax in pavilions, while locals gather at dawn for tai chi and group singing.