There are three convenient roads for enjoying the park. The northern route goes over the Spectacle Lake bridge. The landscaped part of the park, called Study of Reading Heart, and the Tibetan style Bright Temple are also on the northern route. The Bright Temple was once the home of the 6th Panchen Lama, and its bells make lovely music. Along the middle road are Tingxue, Purple Mist, and Wangfeng Pavilions, Zhisong Garden, Lotus Lawn, Yuhua Villa, Snow-On-the-West Mountain, Incense-Burner Peak, Chongyang Garret, etc. For those choose the southern path can view the tranquil Green Lake, the Fragrant Temple and most importantly the Incense Burner Peak. The route up is steep, so those who don't wish to exert themselves can take the cable car.

The brilliant foliage is the main attraction of the park. No one is sure where the sumac trees originated. There is also a legend tells that a south wind carried the seeds of the red-leaf trees to Beijing. Then the seeds survived, and as years passed they grew into a lovely forest. Another story goes that the sumacs were transplanted to the area by Emperor Qianlong (l736 - l795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). In November, the frosted leaves of these trees, along with the persimmons and maples, spread over the Fragrant Hills like a thick red blanket. For two centuries, it has been a resort for the residents in Beijing. 

The Fragrant Hills Park is famous for the maple leaves and got its name accordingly. Located 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) to the west of Beijing, 160-hectare (about 395 acres) park has lovely stretches of gardens as well as numerous historical relics.

The park was first established in 1186 during the Jin Dynasty (1115 - 1234). Over the years Ming and the Qing emperors added to the park, calling it the garden of tranquility and pleasure. In 1745, Emperor Qianlong ordered large-scale construction. At that time, 28 beautiful scenes with enclosing walls were set up and named Jingyi Park by the emperor. Unfortunately, almost every trace of this carefully orchestrated symphony of landscape architecture, including the blueprints, was burned or destroyed by the Anglo-French forces and the eight-Power Allied Forces in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

To better commemorate Confucius and his accomplished principles, the Confucius temple was designated as one of the major national historical and cultural sites under the national protection of the State Council in 1988.

Entrance Fee: CNY 30 (through ticket including the Confucius Temple and the Imperial College)

Transportation:
A. Bus Routes:
Take Bus No. 13, 116 or 807 and get off at Yonghegong (the Lama Temple) Stop;
Take Bus No. 104, 108, 113, 407 and get off at Andingmen Stop.
B. Subway:
Take Subway Line 2 or 5 and get off at Yonghegong Station

Opening Hours 09:00 - 17:00

The Confucius Temple houses many precious historical and cultural relics including the Qian Long stone drums, the inscribed boards, stone tablets inscribed with the full messages of the thirteen Confucian masterpieces, and stone tablets bearing the names and origins of scholars who passed the highest examination.

There are also some noteworthy pictures in the temple. One outlines two flying dragons playing a pearl among clouds, which can only be used in the imperial palaces in ancient China as dragon stands for emperor in the past. Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine the importance of the Confucius Temple in the feudal society of China.

There are four courtyards in the temple. The main structures include Xianshi Gate (Gate of the First Teacher), Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Accomplishment), Dacheng Gate (Gate of Great Accomplishment) and Chongshengci (Worship Hall). Dacheng Hall is the main building in the temple, where the memorial ceremonies for Confucius were often held. It is about 16.4 meters (17.9 yards) in width and 5 meters (5.5 yards) in length. Going inside the temple the 198 stone tablets placed on either side of the front courtyard can be seen, which bear more than 51,624 names of Jinshi (the advanced scholars) of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties who passed the imperial examination, and 14 stone stele pavilions of the Ming and Qing dynasties that keep the record of the precious historical information of ancient China. 

The Temple of Confucius, the present site of the Capital Museum, is located at the eastern end of Guo Zijian (Imperial College), Chengxian Street, East District of Beijing with an area of 22,000 square meters (5.4 acres). It is built in memory of the great philosopher, thinker, educationalist Confucius in ancient times.

The temple in Beijing was initially built in 1302 and renovated during the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties. It is the second largest temple constructed for Confucius, ranking only behind the one in Qufu, Shandong Province. Comparatively speaking, the Confucius Temple in Qufu is much larger in size, but this one in Beijing is much more socially important than that in Qufu, because the imperial officials of the Yuan (1271 - 1368), Ming and Qing Dynasties all came to Beijing Confucius Temple to pay respect to the ancient sage Confucius, they used to host the memorable ceremonies to honor Confucius in the 2nd and 8th months of the Chinese calendar, thus it is matchless in the Chinese feudal society.

For more than two centuries, the Chinese people read about the garden. Now they can relive the scenes described in the book. For the visitor to the Grand View Garden, a stroll along the zigzag paths that wind through it is to experience a world of ancient Chinese dwellings from the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasties. If lucky, you will have chance to see traditional ceremonies performed in the garden, always a fascinating sight.

Entrance Fee:
CNY 40 for daytime visiting; CNY 70 for night activities

Bus Routes:
Take Bus No. 56, 59, 122, 351, 395, 423, 721, 744 (Branch), 800, 819, 922, 939 or Te 3 and get off at Daguanyuan Stop.

Opening Hours:
07:30 - 17:30 (daytime); 18:00 - 21:00 (night activitives)

The layout of Grand View Garden is exactly what described in the novel for horticulturists, architects, archaeologists and experts on the history of the famous novel were asked to pay much attention to the whole garden, the location of trees, the arrangement of the rockery, and the decoration of the main characters' homes.

The construction lasted five years from 1984 to 1988. It has over 40 scenic spots including five courtyards, three park areas, a Buddhist temple, rockeries, and a large lake. The scene in each of these is unique with rock and ponds and an abundance of foliage. These provide a tranquil setting for the pavilions, rooms and corridors (traditional covered walkways) in which the drama of the novel could be brought to life. The worthy-see sightseeing here includes Tortuous Path Leading to Seclusion, Merry Red Courtyard, Xiaoxiang House, and Homecoming Villa. In total, the stonework covers an area of more than 0.46 acres (1,860 square meters) and the lakes and canals 1.4 acres (5,785 square meters). You will see a beautiful fusion of artificial features and natural scenery

The classical Grand View Garden is an imperial family garden described in the famous Chinese works A Dream of Red Mansions written by a Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) writer Cao Xueqin (17l5 - l763). This contemporary construction compass a large greenery garden dotted with pavilions, halls, temples and miniature gardens with a total of 7.6 acres (30,785 square meters).

According to the novel, Grand View Garden was the residence of the wealthy Jia family. It tells the story of the demise of the prominent aristocratic Jia family against the background of the feudal society in which it had thrived. The leading male character of the novel was Baoyu. He and his two cousins and some other family members shared the home. The tragic love affairs among the three characters were the result of the feudal society. These amorous and sensitive couples are China's Romeo and Juliet. You could peep inside not only the Chinese culture but its rich garden heritage in the Grand View Garden.