Fodor's Expert Review Beihai Park
Xicheng District
City Park
A white stupa is perched on a small island just north of the south gate of this park. Also at the south entrance is Round City, which contains a white-jade Buddha and an enormous jade bowl given to Kublai Khan. Nearby, the well-restored Temple of Eternal Peace houses a variety of Buddhas. Climb to the stupa from Yongan Temple. Once there, you can pay an extra Y1 to ascend the Buddha-bedecked Shanyin Hall.
The lake is Beijing's largest and most beautiful public waterway. On summer weekends the lake teems with paddleboats. The Five Dragon Pavilion, on Beihai's northwest shore, was built in 1602 by a Ming Dynasty emperor who liked to fish under the moon.
