Fragrant Hill — Xiang Shan
Fragrant Hills , a public park in Haidian District, is said to have a beautiful view when autumn comes. The pine trees turning fiery red or orange is a sight to behold. We always heard rumors that it was already turning that color but alas, we got the wrong timing. I went here twice already but I never behold the famous sights. Locals love to visit this place not just for the scene, but also a good exercise for them. There was a choice to walk or take the cable car, I always take the later since I’m not fond of mountain climbing/walking. The entrance for student for the park is around 5 rmb but 10 rmb if you’re an ordinary tourist. The cable car costs around 25 rmb one way if I remembered right. Unfortunately, the cable car is only up to 530pm.
Major places we should have gone:
Studio of Tranquil Heart
It was first built in mid-16th century under the Ming and was reconstructed in the Qing period. In the enclosure there is a large semi-circular pool in the shape of a heart. The studio was burned down in 1860 and was renovated after 1949.
Bright Temple
Lying to the south of the Studio of Tranquil Heart, the Bright Temple was built in 1780 as a residence for the Sixth Bainqen Erdeni when he visited Beijing. The compound has a 10-metre-high red terrace in Tibetan style. It was destroyed by the Anglo-French troops in 1860. (from Beijing 2008 site)
We were late so since we didn’t choose to walk because it was dark. Fools that we are, we took the offer of horse ride! We went over a high wall just to go to where the horses are. Then, the suspicious looking men guiding us wanted to fool us, that if we want to ride to a much safer road, we needed to add additional fee! We ended up paying additional…since we were scared what might happen. Oh well…lesson learned!
Overall, it’s a nice place where you can have a picnic. The beautiful scenery and lush greenery can take a load off your mind even in the bustling city of Beijing!
