 This classically elegant palace garden is one of China 's oldest and largest imperial gardens. Beihai Park lies to the northwest of the Palace Museum and was built in the 10th century. The park has many remnants from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644AD), including the White Dagoba (a Tibetan style temple), the Round City and Jade Island . The White Dagoba on Jade Island , is the visual spectacle of the park and visitors can admire it from many vantage points.
The central island area, Qinghuangdao was formed from the piles of mud that collected as the lake was dug out by hand. A bridge and ferry connect the island to the surrounding land. The eastern and western banks house beautiful gardens and religious buildings and the north is a maze of pavilions and corridors leading around rocky crags.Other dramatic features of the park include, but are definitely not limited to the 5 meter ( 16ft ) Nine Dragon Screen, a Jade Buddha carved from a single piece of white jade, Kublai Khan ' s wine goblet and a magnificent 13th century jade urn. | |
