Fragrant Hill in the west
The Fragrant Hills Park, about 30 kilometres northwest of Beijing, is one of the most favorable resorts in the city’s outskirts. It covers an area of 160 hectares. In 1186, in the Jin Dynasty, the Fragrant Hills Temple was built and terraces, pavilions and pagodas were added by the subsequent dynasties.
The area was later converted into a park and was named the Park of Tranquility and Pleasure. Major places of interest in the park include:Xianglufeng,The Jade Flowers Villa, Shuangqing Villa.
Xianglufeng (The Incense Burner Peak): The Incense Burner Peak is the summit of the Fragrant Hills. To its west is a precipice nicknamed the Devil Frowning Peak 鬼见愁, which is very (difficult to climb. On top of the hill is a huge piece of rock, which looks like an incense burner at a distance, so it is also named the Incense Burner Peak. It is 557 meters above sea level, the highest peak among the nearby hills. Up there, visitors can have a magnificent view of the surrounding area.
The Jade Flowers Villa: The Jade Flowers Villa was one of the 28 sights in the park. It is now a courtyard where visitors can take a rest and have a cup of tea. It is a good spot for viewing red leaves in late autumn. North of the Villa is the Hibiscus Hall, an elegant courtyard full of flowers and shrubs.
Shuangqing Villa: In the southeast corner of the park is a small pool fed by two springs named Shuangqing or “Two Streams.” The water from these springs is not only clear but also rare in north China. It contains no alkali in it. In March, 1949 when the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was moved to Beijing, the Fragrant Hills Park became its headquarters.
There are two ways to get to the top of hill, first way needs only about 10 minutes by cable, tickets at one way costs 30 yuan, and two ways ticket costs 50 yuan. Another way is to climb up by yourself, it may takes 40 minutes or longer depends on your pace, there are some different routes leading to the peak.
The park is good to visit almost all the time around the year except in the cold winter, local residents have a monthly ticket to go here for morning exercise, (the air is much fresher than in the downtown!). It is good to see all the flowers bloom in the early spring, when it is very hot and humid in downtown Beijing during the summer, here is cooler, and in autumn almost all the Beijingers will come here to see the colored trees.
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