Beihai (North Lake) Park, named in conjunction with Middle Lake and South Lake, is situated to the west of the Palace Museum and Jingshan Park in Beijing. It covers a total area of over 68 hectares. More than half of it is taken up by the lake. The Park, broad in scale and elegantly arranged, is a beautiful imperial garden in Beijing as well as a masterpiece of ancient Chinese gardens still standing.
The main scenic spots of Beihai Park consist of three parts. The southern part comprises mainly the Round City, the middle part, the Yong an(Eternal Peace) Temple, White Dagoba and Yuexin Palace on Qionghua Islet and the northern part, the Five Dragon Pavilions, the small Sukhavati Garden and Jingxinzhai (Heart-ease Study).
The Qionghua Islet lies on the southern part of Taiye Lake, with its constructions in total harmony with the Hill terrain and shrouded in green pines and cypresses. In the south there are Yongan Temple, Falun (Wheel of the Law) Hall and the Zhengjue Hall. The Islet links with the shore by a marble bridge in the southeast. With the picturesque Jingshan Park and the splendid Palace Museum standing close by, they enhance each other beauty. Amid the greenness, stands a tablet with an inscription by Emperor Qianlong, of "Qiongdaochunyin" (Spring Shade of Jade Islet) in Qing Dynasty. It's one of the eight famous sights in ancient Beijing. At the northern foot of the Hill and by the lakeside, lies a 60-bay and 2-storeyed corridor, resembling a colorful ribbon tied around the waist of Qionghua Islet. Travelling among the grotesque rocks and through the deep, cool and secluded caves, one moment you come out halfway up the Hill, and another moment, you are down at the bottom, mesmerized by the uncanny creation. The upside down reflections of the buildings on the Hill and the corridor upon the lake are picturesque.
The Round City standing among the Palace Museum, Jingshan Park, Zhongnan Lake and Beihai Lake, enjoys the reputation of being "A City within Beijing City". It is covered by luxuriant pines and cypresses and the buildings with glazed tiles and red walls. It has become a beautiful scenic spot in Beijing.
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