Peonies in the heart of Beijing
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The 45.7-meter Jingshan hill was entirely manmade from surplus earth after workers dug a moat around the Forbidden City. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
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Colorful peony gardens surround Jingshan Hill. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
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An amateur photographer focuses on Jingshan's prize peonies. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
The other four pavilions are missing their statues, which were plundered by the Eight-Nation Alliance troops during the Siege of Beijing.
Behind the hill is Shouhuang Hall where emperors could offer sacrifices to their ancestors. An aerial view of the park reveals the outline of a praying god.
At the bottom of the descent from the hill on the eastern side is an old, twisted tree where Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. As Li Zicheng's peasant armies stormed the palace, Emperor Chongzhen fled to Jingshan Park and watched the invasion from the hill. After realizing there was no escape, he and his one last follower, a eunuch, ended their lives at the tree.
The peony gardens surrounding the hill create a royal atmosphere where visitors almost expect to see an empress or princess strolling about. Instead, Beijing residents of all ages frequent this park for a leisurely day. Senior residents still congregate here to catch up on old times, play cards and paint, while younger people seem to be wild about amateur photography, taking pictures of the park's scenic crop of flowers. Almost everyone stops in front of an exhibit the park has set up near the western gate that introduces the history of Beijing.
An imperial garden at the heart of Beijing, Jingshan Park's springtime peonies beautifully highlight the city's elegant, royal past.
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