Beihai is among the oldest and best-preserved of the classical imperial gardens still standing, and the white pagoda, the lake and the red walls do the work: it is a quietly restorative place.
- The White Pagoda
- the park's emblem, a Tibetan-style stupa on the summit of Qionghua Island. From the top you look down over the whole park and, beyond it, the Forbidden City.
- The Nine-Dragon Screen
- the only double-sided glazed-tile nine-dragon screen in the country, with hundreds of dragons worked into the glaze. The carving is startling and the colour has held.
- Jingxinzhai
- a garden within the garden from the Qianlong reign, laid out in the Jiangnan manner — bridges around rockeries, water under upturned eaves, a new view at every step, and few people.
- The Five Dragon Pavilions
- five square pavilions linked in a dragon's line at the water's edge, and the best place to photograph the pagoda at a distance with the lake in front of it.
- The Glazed Pavilion
- closed for more than seventy years and opened to the public for the first time in September 2026. Its facade carries 1,424 glazed Amitayus figures, and in sun it is all colour.
- Tuancheng
- the smallest royal citadel in the world and a nationally protected site, holding the great jade wine vat of Kublai Khan and two thousand-year-old trees. It is just outside the south gate.
Tickets and hours
Ticket prices
- Peak season, 1 April to 31 October
- 10 yuan for the park, 20 for the combined ticket covering Qionghua Island, the pagoda and Tuancheng. Buy the combined one.
- Low season, 1 November to 31 March
- 5 yuan for the park, 15 for the combined ticket.
book by real name through the Visit Parks WeChat account, then scan your ID card at the gate.
Opening hours
- Park gates
- 6:00 to 21:00 in peak season, last entry 20:30; 6:30 to 20:00 in low season, last entry 19:30.
- The inner gardens
- 8:00 to 18:00 in peak season, 8:30 to 17:00 in low season. They close on Mondays, public holidays excepted.
Getting there
- Metro
- Line 6 to Beihai North. Exits B and D both put you at the north gate on foot; D is on the same side of the road, so there is no crossing.
- By bus
- 13, 42, 107 and 111 stop at Beihai Park North Gate; 5, 101 and 103 stop at Beihai for the south gate.
The route, about three hours
In at the north gate and out at the south: the ground falls away from north to south, so most of the walk is downhill.
- In at the north gate
- turn right and start at Jingxinzhai for the quiet of a Jiangnan courtyard.
- Xitian Fanjing and the Glazed Pavilion
- through the Hall of the Heavenly Kings and the Daci Zhenru Hall, collect a visitor card in the queue, and go into the pavilion itself.
- The Nine-Dragon Screen
- a short walk from the pavilion exit; the double-sided screen is the thing to look at.
- The Five Dragon Pavilions
- follow the lake for the view across the water and the long shot of the pagoda.
- Onto Qionghua Island
- cross to Qionghua Island by the Zhishan Bridge and climb to the pagoda for the view down.
- Yongan Temple and Bridge
- the core of the island; the red walls and green tiles photograph well, and the bridge is the classic spot for the pagoda and its reflection.
- Tuancheng
- out at the south gate, Tuancheng is immediately on your right, and that ends the walk.
What is on now, and practical notes
- Chrysanthemum show
- the 47th runs to 15 November at no extra charge. The oversized plant called Fuduoer at Chanfu Temple and the Cantonese-trained chrysanthemums at the Wanfu Tower site are the two things to see; go early to avoid the crowd.
- Visiting the Glazed Pavilion
- it is included in the park ticket, with no separate charge. The courtyard is capped, so cards are issued on entry and collected on the way out. It closes on Mondays — do not make a special trip on a Monday.
- Boats
- boats run 9:00 to 17:00: pedal boats, electric boats, rowed boats and a ferry. From the water you look at the pagoda level rather than up at it.
- What to wear
- by November Beijing is into winter and the lakeside wind is cold; a coat or a light down jacket. Pale colours or a modern take on Chinese dress sit well against the red walls and yellow chrysanthemums.
- What is next to it
- from here you can walk to Shichahai for the evening, or cross to Jingshan and watch the sun go down over the Forbidden City from the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Springs.