Ladies ONLY Excersion!

After nearly a month with twenty five other students (mostly males) I decided it was time to have a female’s only excursion. So, I invited our Mandarin teachers along and we set out on an adventure. As soon as class was out at 11:30am we all gathered together from our different classes, our loashi’s recommended that we have lunch first and escorted us to a place on Renmin campus to indulge on Peking Duck! We were given a private room and enjoyed one of the best meals I ever had while in China (who would have known it would be on campus!) Then we took the subway close to the Forbidden Palace, we were searching for a couple famous hutongs (Zhuanta and Yandai Xiejie, which we found and explored) and Beihai Park.

                

Ordering our Peking Duck lunch at one of Renmin's campus resteraunts

This was a desert type of dish

Lots of FOOD!!

duck soup, it was the best soup I had in China "hands down"

AHHH, the Peking duck was the last dish to arrive but it was definitely worth the wait

The first hutong we visited was Zhuanta Hutong

This was one of the only remain corridors I was able to find that still lead to a courtyard, a lot of this famous hutong has been torn down for new construction

This is one of the streets in Zhuanta Hutong that was almost finished being redone

One of the branches of the National Library of China, just outside the gates of Beihai Park

Beihai Park was originally built during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), it is 176.5 acres in size and is positioned just northwest of the Forbidden City. It is considered to be the best imperial garden in China and was opened as a public park in 1925. It has been rebuilt and renovated continuously through multiple dynasties including the Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1279-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). In 1741-1771 the park went through a large scale reconstruction during the reign of Qing Emperor Qian Long and today still looks much the same.

             

Many Imperial Parks in China were built by different emperors who were inspired by legendary stories.  Beihai Park is no different, in fact, it has “sister” style parks scattered all over China. Parks were built near palaces by Emperor Yang Di of the Sui Dynasty (605-617) in Luoyang, Henan Province, Emperors of the Tang (618-907) and Song dynasties (960-1279). The Legend that inspired all of them talks about the three fairyland mountains of Penlai, Yingzhou and Fangzhang. It was said that immortals lived there and where a miraculous potion for longevity was located. The first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (211-210 BCE) and Wu Di of the Han Dynasty (140-87 BCE) were so obsessed with this legend that they actually sent expeditions (that obviously failed) out to sea to find the real mountains and potion. Eventually Emperor Wu Di ordered a lake be built (Taiye Lake) behind Jiangzhang Palace in the capital city Chang’an (Xi’an). He had the mountains created using the dirt dug out of the ground to make the lake, Beihai Park was built the same way.

my roomie and I

My roommate, our Mandarin Laoshi's (teachers) and I

The Ladies and Mandarin Loashi's (teachers) of my study abroad

The famous White Dagoba (Bai ta white tower) on Jade Flower Island

Some interesting fun fact about Beihai Park have to do with Emperor Shun Di of the Yuan Dynasty and Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Shun Di was also fascinated with legendary stories, he had a 130 foot dragon boat built, had 16 palace maids dress up like legendary fairies and had them sing and dance on the boat for him as it floated around the lake. When Empress Dowager Cixi took money from the Navy funds one of the things she created was a railway from Yiluan Hall to Jingxin Studio. She would enjoy train rides along the North Sea Lake with Emperor Guang Xu, his Empress and concubines where they would dine together at Jingxin Studio.

Some of the girls getting pictures of the beautiful Xiaoxitian Temple, also known as the Temple of Supreme Happiness

Xiaoxitian Temple

beautiful Buddhist carvings inside Guanyin Hall

Outside Xiaoxitian Temple we enjoyed a large koi pond

I never figured out what the pagoda at the top of the hill was, it will be an adventure for my next visit. I just liked how everyone was relaxing along the stairway

Our group enjoying a ride in a lotus boat around North Sea Lake, actually we had two, I am obviously in the second lotus

Doushan Bridge which leads to Jade Flower Island

While visiting Beihai Park we were fortunate to see a lot of famous locations including the 5-dragon pavilion that sits along the water’s edge. While there we saw dancing, singing music groups. We visited the Xiaoxitian Temple (Little Western Skies) and one of our laoshi’s was able to explain the beautiful Buddhist carvings inside Guanyin Hall. It is the images of Guanyin (a Bodhisattva) and the 800 Arhats. The inscription of "Extreme Happiness" behind the hill is in Emperor Qian Long handwriting. We also visited the botanical gardens and rode in lotus flower boats all around the North Sea Lake.

Botanical Garden with a sea of lotus behind me

After we left Beihai Park we walked a short distance to Yandai Xiejie Hutong to do some shopping and enjoy some BBQ lamb skewers. We stayed long enough to see the night club scene by the canal start to come alive, but we didn't stay we wanted to get back to our hotel because we had class the next day.  We also never made it to Jade Flower Islet in Beihai Park unfortunately on our trip, however, a very relaxing time with wonderful women, and definitely a location to visit again.

LINKS

beihaipark.com.cn/in English  

travelchinaguide.com Beijing Hutongs 

LOCATIONS
Beihai Park

1 Wenjin St

Xicheng, Beijing

China

100034

Zhuanta Hutong

Xicheng Qu, Beijing Shi

China

100034

Yandai Xiejie Hutong

Yandai Byway

Xicheng, Beijing

China