Wanshou Park

Wanshou Park

Wanshou Park is located on the north side of Baizhifang East Street in Xuanwu District, Beijing. It is the city’s first park designed specifically for senior citizens and also one of Beijing’s most disaster-resilient parks.

The original site of Wanshou Park was the Guan Di Temple, commonly known as “Wanshou West Palace.” It was first built in the eighth year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1580), and the temple enshrined Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, and Lü Dongbin. Another account states that Wanshou Park was built on the site of a Guan Di Temple constructed in the forty-fifth year of the Wanli reign (1617), with surviving hall structures and stone inscriptions still present in the park today. To its east once stood the Hongren Wanshou Palace, commonly known as “Wanshou East Palace” (now demolished). In June 1956, the gardening authorities acquired over 50,000 square meters of land here to establish a park, initially named Wanshou West Palace Park. In 1995, with an investment of 13.8 million yuan, it was developed into a standardized park for senior citizens. Covering an area of 47,000 square meters with a built-up area of 4,370 square meters, the park is divided into eight scenic zones. In addition to the nearly thousand existing trees, more than 6,800 new trees were planted, including pines, cypresses, locusts, ginkgos, and various shrubs, along with over 6,600 perennials (in clusters), and over 25,000 square meters of lawn. The park features flowers in three seasons, with autumn colors as a highlight. Calligraphy inscriptions by over 30 calligraphers adorn various scenic spots.

Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development