Haidian Park

　　Haidian Park is built on the site of the former royal garden “Changchun Garden,” one of the “Three Hills and Five Gardens.” It inherits the natural and elegant style of Changchun Garden.

　　The park covers an area of approximately 34 hectares, including 20 hectares of landscaped gardens and 2.8 hectares of water bodies. It features over ten scenic areas such as Seeking the Source of Bookish Sounds, Myriad Springs Like Jade, Clear Waves at Danleng, Poetic Charm of Twin Bridges, Fragrance of Imperial Rice Fields, Ancient Pavilion Watching the Crops, Immortals Catching Dew, and Dianyuan Flower Valley. The park has planted over 600,000 landscape plants of 75 species, including cedar, Chinese pine, Chinese toon, silk tree, ginkgo, and peach blossom. Its 30,000-square-meter green lawn, which can be walked on, is the largest open lawn in Beijing. The overall ambiance of the park is graceful yet simple, blending grand elegance with understated rusticity. Experts have playfully dubbed it “an emperor in plain clothes.”

　　Tracing back in history, the western suburbs lie at the junction of the Western Hills and the plains, characterized by rolling hills and abundant underground water sources. During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, this area had numerous springs and streams, set against the lush green backdrop of the Western Hills with their layered ridges and clear waters. The picturesque scenery resembled that of a Jiangnan water town or an oasis beyond the Great Wall. Literati from the capital often visited this area for leisure and composed numerous poems praising its beauty. Wen Zhengming, a renowned painter and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, wrote: “Ten miles of green hills unfold like a painting, pairs of white birds fly as if in Jiangnan.” Cao Xueqin’s grandfather, a literary giant of his time, once wrote movingly: “Wild geese driven by the west wind, people enchanted by the Western Hills.” Wu Changyuan, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, described the region in his book “Chenyuan Shilue”: “Streams fill the roads, some flowing into wastelands, some hiding along grassy paths, some scattering through dust and sand. In spring and summer, clear clouds and green trees accompany the fragrance of flowers and birdsong; in autumn, red leaves drift about; in winter, snow blankets the land in pristine white.” These vivid descriptions portray the naturally formed, soul-soothing beauty of the landscape. For these reasons, it became the prime choice for constructing imperial gardens in Beijing at the time.

　　Haidian Park

　　In the 29th year of the Kangxi reign (1690), the construction of the entire garden was completed, and it was officially named “Changchun Garden,” symbolizing “spring all year round,” “the arrival of favorable winds from all directions,” and “the unobstructed flow of the six qi.” According to an official who once witnessed Changchun Garden: “The walls are not even a zhang high, the gardens are lush with greenery and blooming red flowers. The earthen mounds are gently undulating, without any bizarre peaks or strange rocks. The pavilions and corridors are elegantly simple, without ornate carvings or paintings.” This shows that although Changchun Garden was a royal garden, it retained an overall natural and refined character. After its completion, Emperor Kangxi loved this garden very much and would visit and handle state affairs there every year.

　　In the 10th year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), the Anglo-French allied forces invaded Beijing. After burning down the Old Summer Palace, they looted and destroyed the surrounding royal gardens on a large scale. Changchun Garden bore the brunt of the destruction, and all its buildings were burned to the ground.

　　In 2004, Haidian Park was designated as one of Beijing's first emergency shelters. Its emergency evacuation routes, camping zones, helipads, toilets, lighting, and water supply facilities will play a vital role in disaster prevention, refuge, and rescue during sudden public crises such as earthquakes and fires.

　　Today, the only remaining relics of the former Changchun Garden on its site are the northeastern boundary marker of Changchun Garden and the two mountain gates of Enyou Temple and Enmu Temple. These two mountain gates were listed as cultural heritage protection units of Haidian District in June 1984.

　　As an ideal venue for experiencing high-quality leisure life and hosting various large-scale performances and cultural events, Haidian Park’s image as a theme park centered on “technology, humanity, and ecology” has been widely recognized by the public. It has received extensive attention and acclaim from both domestic and international visitors, as well as numerous partners and media outlets. With the care and support of the Haidian District government and various sectors of society, Haidian Park is playing an increasingly significant role in promoting the cultural, educational, tourism, and regional economic development of Haidian District.

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development