Beijing Botanical Garden

Last update : 6/6/2007 6:35:29 AM
Beijing Botanical Garden is located at the foot of the Western Hill, in Haidian District, northwest of downtown Beijing. Covering an area of 400 hectares, it is renowned as the largest botanical garden in North China. The garden contains not only a great variety of rare trees and stunning flowers, but also houses a number of historical attractions.

Last update : 6/6/2007 6:35:47 AM
The plant conservatory, resembling a crystal palace, lies at the center of the garden. The greenhouse is the largest one in Asia, and exhibits thousands of tropical and subtropical plants. There are dedicated areas for various varieties of trees and flowering plants. Eleven theme gardens form a spectacular sight within the garden, featuring the rose, peony, lilac, bamboo, magnolia, bonsai, prunus mume, perennial flowers, herbaceous peony, ornamental peach and the Chinese flowering crabapple. In the woodland zone, gingko, cypress, linden, willow, berberidaceae and other rare trees color the area a rich green.

Last update : 6/6/2007 6:36:02 AM
Historical attractions can also be found in the garden, including the Memorial to Cao Xueqin, Tomb of Liang Qichao, Temple of  the Sleeping Buddha and December 9th Pavilion. Cao Xueqin, a celebrated novelist of China, is well-known for his masterpiece: A Dream of Red Mansions. The Memorial to Cao Xueqin depicts a vivid scene of a mountain village and evokes the mystery of this great author. The Tomb of Liang Qichao, a famous reformist in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), lies beyond the wooded area of the garden. The Temple of the Sleeping Buddha was constructed early in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when a huge copper Sakyamuni statue, together with twelve smaller Buddha figurines was worshipped. The December 9th Pavilion is built in memory of the December 9th Movement, which took place in 1935 and called for an end to the civil war and resistance towards the Japanese aggressors.

Last update : 6/28/2007 9:44:37 PM
With intriguing rockeries, clear ponds and elegant bridges interspersed throughout, the garden is a place of great natural beauty. A visit to the garden is highly recommended as an instructive and delightful experience.

Botanical Garden Memorial to Cao Xueqin Temple of the Sleeping Buddha Conservatory
Admission Fee: CNY 5 CNY 10 CNY 5 CNY 50
Opening Hours: 07:00-17:00 08:30-16:30 08:30-16:30 08:30-16:30
Bus Route: 331, 634, 737, 360, 318, 714, 733 to Beijing Zhiwuyuan (Beijing Botanical Garden, 北京植物园)