In our ongoing series looking at Beijing’s best parks – check out the first installment

here

– we highlight some of the best green stretches in the north of the city.

Liuyin Park柳荫公园

Liuyin is one of Beijing’s less visited parks, for the most part because it’s possible to pass by the park without even realizing that it is there (see directions). Situated just south of the third ring road it’s enjoyed by residents of the Anzhen and Andingmen areas, and the fact that the park has secluded and peaceful spots aplenty makes it popular with young Chinese couples. Despite the parks rather small (17 hectare) area it is quite easy to find yourself lost when exploring its many paths, and to spend a good three quarters of an hour just taking in the sights and wandering around the lakes. More accessible than Purple Bamboo Park, Liu Yin offers many of its siblings charms, on a smaller scale.

Liuyin Park柳荫公园 View In Map
Add: 8 Huangsi Dajie, Andingmen Wai, Dongcheng District, Beijing 北京市东城区安外黄寺大街8号
Tel: 010 - 8411 3699
Transport: Metro line 2 to Andingmen and turn left at the last junction of Andingmen Wai Dajie. The entrance to the park is at the end of an alley opposite the Santosa tea house. The area can also be reached by bus routes 104 and 108.
Price: 1 RMB

Ditan Park 地坛公园
Ditan Park is most famous for its Temple Fair (庙会Miao Hui ), however Chinese New Year is by no means the only time when it’s worth a visit. In contrast with Beijing’s many parks that feature more organic designs, Ditan aesthetically has more in common with the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. In fact, Ditan is the site of an altar used by emperors in the fifteenth century. The park is much less visited than the aforementioned sites, meaning that the sight of the large two-tiered alter, with just a bronze trough at its centre, can be enjoyed without the presence of hundreds of fellow tourists clambering over it. The park’s gardens are made up of geometric paths lined with tall cypress and pine trees, which further accentuate its rigid layout, lending it a serene and otherworldly atmosphere.

Ditan Park 地坛公园 View In Map
Add: 2 Andingmen Waidajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing 北京东城区安定门外大街
Tel: 010 - 6421 4657
Transport: Take metro line 2 to Andingmen. Heading north out of the station, the park is easily spotted on the right hand side of the avenue, a few hundred metres down. Useful bus routes include 104 and 108.
Price: Free

Chinese Ethnic Minorities Park 中华民族园

The Ethnic Minorities park is an unusual attraction in that its purpose lies somewhere between that of museum and park; but because of its wonderfully landscaped gardens it deserves a mention as a park in its own right. The park, not far from the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, was built in 2000 in anticipation of the Olympics and contains mock up examples of architecture typifying those of the 55 ethnic minorities residing in China. Although the result is a kind of “ethnic kitsch”, it remains an entertaining place for a short visit. Highlights include the Panlong Die Shui falls; a scaled down replica of a Jiuzhaigou landscape, having the honour of being the largest artificial waterfall in China.

Chinese Ethnic Minorities Park 中华民族园 View In Map
Add: 1 Minzuyuan Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京市朝阳区民族园路1号
Tel: 010 - 6206 3646
Transport: The park is most easily reached from Bei Tu Cheng subway station on metro line 10, it is a few hundred metres north of the station. The park is also accessible by the 301 and 101 buses and a short walk north along the third ring road from Anzhen Qiao.
Price: 90 RMB; 65 RMB concessions

Beijing Olympic Forest Park 北京奥林匹克森林公园
With its construction beginning in 2003 and taking almost 5 years to complete, the Olympic Forest Park was one of the jewels in the ‘green’ Olympic crown. The park covers an area of 680 hectares and is in fact so big that its northern area envelopes a large stretch of the north 5th ring road in what is known as an ecological corridor, dubbed the ‘green bridge’. As parks go, the Olympic Forest Park is a particularly fine one and a great venue for a stroll or a lake side picnic. The landscaping was designed with the use of Feng Shui geomantic theory, perhaps fostering the park’s calming atmosphere. Thanks to its sheer size it is almost too easy to find one’s own private spot to settle down and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Beijing Olympic Forest Park 北京奥林匹克森林公园View In Map
Address: Beichen Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 北京市朝阳区北辰路
Tel. 010 - 6408 1513
Transport: The Olympic Forest Park has its own metro station which is the terminus of line 8.
Price: Free

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