Discover Beijing
Jingshan Park
景山公园
The artificial hill directly north of the Forbidden City, crowned by the Wanchun Pavilion - the one place where you can see the whole palace laid out as a single golden-roofed grid along Beijing's central axis. Two yuan buys the city's best view.
The story
What makes this place special
The 45.7m hill in the middle of this 23-hectare park is artificial, piled up in the Yongle era from the spoil dug out to form the Forbidden City's moat and the surrounding canals, and moved by hand and animal power. The site had been an imperial garden since at least 1179, and was rebuilt in 1267 and again in 1651. Its grimmest moment came in 1644, when the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, hanged himself from a tree on the hill as Li Zicheng's rebels took the city; the spot is marked. It opened to the public in 1928.
What you’ll discover
Essentially one thing done very well: you climb the hill by stone stairways through terraces and five summit pavilions, and from the central Wanchun Pavilion you look straight down the Forbidden City's entire golden-roofed axis, with the Drum Tower behind you to the north and the White Dagoba of Beihai to the west. The climb takes ten to fifteen minutes. Around the base are quieter gardens, the Qiwang Lou, the marked suicide tree site, and a peony garden; at the southern foot are old halls now used for exhibitions.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- This is the Forbidden City photograph. There is no other publicly accessible high point that sees the whole palace, and it works best in the late afternoon with the sun behind you in the west, lighting the roofs.
- Do it immediately after the Forbidden City, not as a separate trip. The palace's exit at the Gate of Divine Might is directly across the street from Jingshan's south gate, and the ticket is small change.
- The viewing platform at the top is small and gets genuinely packed at sunset. Arrive 30-40 minutes before, or climb at opening time instead for empty platforms and morning light on the west side.
- The western slope and the Qiwang Lou gardens are almost empty - the whole crowd goes straight up the central stair and straight back down it.
- The park is full of Beijing residents singing, dancing and playing instruments in the morning, especially on the terraces below the summit. It is one of the easiest places in the city to see that without going out of your way.
- Buy the combined Forbidden City and Jingshan arrangement if offered, but be aware Jingshan closes earlier than the long summer evenings suggest - do not leave the climb until the end of a late palace visit.
When to come
Late afternoon for the light down the axis, or first thing for empty terraces and the resident singers. Autumn gives the clearest air; the hill is a hot climb in summer and the stone steps are slippery when icy.
Getting around
The summit is not reachable without stairs. The climb is steep stone stairways with handrails, several hundred steps in flights, with landings to rest - manageable slowly with a moderately bad knee, impossible in a wheelchair, and there is no lift or vehicle route. The level ground around the base, the gardens and the southern exhibition halls are flat and easy, but they are not what people come for. If the climb is out, the Forbidden City's own Meridian Gate gallery, which has a lift, is the alternative elevated view.
Worth knowing before you go
Chinese sources disagree on whether advance booking is needed here, so check the '畅游公园' account the day before; treat the reservation question as unconfirmed. Come in the last 90 minutes of daylight - the low sun hits the palace roofs and the hilltop pavilion gets packed exactly at sunset.
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