Bei Hai Park - the Jade Isle

Bei Hai (North Sea) Park is located right at the center of Bei Jing. It used to be the royal park of the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Its layout was based on an ancient fairy tale about three immortal mountains at sea, which are called the Jade Isle, the Round City and the Rhinoceros Hill Platform. Early in the Qin and Han dynasty, emperors sent fleets to search these immortal mountains. To no avail, people later decided to build their own. The park was first built in 1166 and completed in 1179. They dug a lake, which is now Bei Hai. And the earth was piled up to form an isle, the Jade Isle.

This is a bronze dragon-head turtle-body beast on the Isle.

 

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