Eight Buddhist temples on a slope of the Western Hills, nearby XiangShan park (Fragrant Hills Park).
[video v=NLtWSbtrEN4]Videos about Western Hills, China
The BeiJing 北京 Botanical Garden
At the foothills of the Western Hills in the suburbs of west BeiJing.
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The Botanical Garden, BeiJing 北京植物园
Beijing Botanical Garden, close to XiangShan Park at the foot of the Western Fragrant Hills, was established in 1955.
There are many features, including a lake, the Perennial Garden, Peony Garden, Ornamental Peach Garden, Orchid House, Desert Garden House, Exhibition Flower House and numerous gardens featuring camellias, bamboo, tree peonies, ornamental cherries and many others.
There is also a memorial garden for Cao Xue Qin, famous for writing the literary classic 'Story of the Stone'.
Don't miss:
- The 10,000 square meter conservatory.
- The sunken rose garden with large musical fountains.
- The WoFoSi ('Sleeping Buddha') Temple and the teahouse to the west and north of it (towards the mountain).
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XiangShan (Fragrant Hills) Park 香山公园, BeiJing
XiangShan Park lies in the well-forested Western Fragrant Hills.
This wonderful park is tranquil yet feature rich extending from the lower gardens and temple to the peak (560 meters) with tea-houses, pagodas and more along the way.
Don't miss the Tranquil Heart Studio, the main part of which is a long corridor encircling a round pond, and further up the hill (middle route) YuHua Villa and QiYue Villa; all three are now partly tea-houses.
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Incense and candles, at BaDaChu 八大处, BeiJing
BaDaChu, 'Eight Great Sights', is a park comprising a number of Buddhist temples and nunneries, some still active, on the slopes of the Western Hills on the edge of Beijing city.
Though not as high as XiangShan, and not reaching the mountain top, it is still an energetic climb to the top site. The forested hillside valleys, with many ancient trees, adds much to the enjoyment here; a nice place for a gentle hike in the countryside.
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