Ancient Mirror Pavilion

Ancient Mirror Pavilion

The Ancient Mirror Pavilion, located on the western foothills of White Pagoda Hill in Beihai Park, is flanked by the Lin Guang Hall on the left and the Fen Liang Pavilion on the right, facing the Zhendan Xianglin across the Taiye Pool. Built in the 12th year of the Qianlong reign (1747 AD), the pavilion is semi-circular in shape, delicate and elegant. The three characters "Ancient Mirror Pavilion" were handwritten by Emperor Qianlong. The walls inside the pavilion are inlaid with 495 stone tablets, including the famous "Calligraphy Models from the Three-Rare Hall." It is the most complete surviving collection of ancient calligraphic stone engravings in China. Its full name is "Calligraphy Models from the Three-Rare Hall, Stone Canal Treasures," which gathers 340 works in regular script, running script, cursive script, and other styles by 135 renowned calligraphers from the Wei-Jin period to the end of the Ming Dynasty, totaling approximately 100,000 characters. Both the calligraphy and the engraving techniques are extremely exquisite, hailed as a "double masterpiece." This outstanding structure brings together the greatest calligraphic works from various dynasties in China and holds a very important position in the history of Chinese culture and art.

Suggested Duration

3 hours to explore Beihai Park

Transportation

Take Metro Line 6, get off at Beihai North Station Exit B, and walk about 1.2 km

Take Bus 118, get off at Beihai North Gate Station, and walk about 850 m

Take Bus 101, get off at Beihai Station, and walk about 1.1 km

Take Bus 701, get off at Beihai North Gate Station, and walk about 840 m

Admission Fee

Refer to Beihai Park

Peak Season (April 1 – October 31): Ticket: ¥10/person; Joint Ticket: ¥20/person

Off-Peak Season (November 1 – March 31): Ticket: ¥5/person; Joint Ticket: ¥15/person

Qionghua Island Ticket: ¥10/person; Tuancheng Ticket: ¥1/person

Opening Hours

Refer to Beihai Park

November – March: 6:30–20:00, tickets stop being sold at 19:30

April – October: 6:30–21:00, tickets stop being sold at 20:30

Location

No. 1 Wenjin Street, Xicheng District, Beijing (north of the Forbidden City), within Beihai Park