| BEIJING
- Jingshan Park
Located to the east of Beihai Park and north
of the Imperial Palace, Jingshan Park is another beautiful
spot to visit.
Now covered in fruit trees, pines and cypress trees, the hill
was originally made with the earth from the moat surrounding
the Forbidden City. From the top there are wonderful views
of Beijing, especially over the Forbidden City, hence its
name, which means "Scenic Hill." The park was an
imperial garden during the Yuan (1271 - 1368), Ming (1368
- 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties.
The main sites of interest in the park include
the Hope Tower "xiwanglou," where people still worship
at a memorial tablet for Confucius, which is in the Keeping
Benevolence Hall (yong'endian). The Visiting Virtue Hall (guandedian),
to the north of the hill, is where the coffins of the Qing
emperors and empresses lie. The 43-metre-high Million Spring
Pavilion (Wanchunting) sits atop the hill. From here it is
possible to appreciate a spectacular 360 degree vista of the
city of Beijing. Directly to the north is Di'anmen Street,
running straight as an arrow up to the Drum and Bell Towers
(zhonggulou); to the east is the Yonghegong Lamasery, the
Imperial College, and the Confucian Temple; to the west is
Beihai Park, where the White Pagoda rises above a blue lake
full of boats; and to the south is the Imperial Palace.
 Since
the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the
park has been renovated several times. It is now famous for
its peony flowers.
Apart from its flowers and views, the park is also remembered
for a Chinese scholar tree that used to grow on the eastern
slope of the hill. It was from this tree that the last emperor
of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen, hung himself. The Emperor
Chongzhen took shelter in the park in 1644, when Lizicheng
took Beijing for the Manchus who were to found the Qing Dynasty.
Having shamed his ancestors by his defeat, Chongzhen committed
suicide by hanging himself on the Chinese scholar tree. The
tree no longer survives as it was destroyed in subsequent
upheavels.
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