Enter the old imperial lake garden of Beihai by its north gate, walk the quiet north and east shores past the Five-Dragon Pavilions and the Nine-Dragon Wall, cross to the White Dagoba on Jade Flower Island, then climb Jingshan for the sunset view.
Best time: Late afternoon, timed to reach the top of Jingshan for sunset over the Forbidden City roofs; golden ginkgo in autumn, skating on Beihai in winter.
The route, stop by stop
- 1Fangshan (Beihai Park)
Enter from Di'anmen West Street, opposite Lotus Lane. 5 min
- 2Fangshan (Beihai Park)
Five linked pavilions on the water at the north-west shore. 15 min
- 3Fangshan (Beihai Park)
Dragon screen wall built in 1402, north of the Five-Dragon Pavilions. 10 min
- 4Fangshan (Beihai Park)
Garden-within-a-garden of rockeries and pavilions on the north shore. 25 min
- 5Beihai Park
Walk down the east shore and climb Jade Flower Island to the White Dagoba stupa. 40 min
- 6Jingshan Park
Leave Beihai by the east gate and cross Jingshan West Street. 5 min
- 7Jingshan Park
The top of the hill for sunset over the Forbidden City to the south and the Bell and Drum Towers to the north. 40 min
More walks in Beijing
- Central Axis north: Jingshan to the Drum and Bell Towers
- Shichahai lakes loop: Yinding Bridge, Yandai Xiejie and Houhai
- Nanluoguxiang side hutongs to the Lama Temple
- Dongsi hutongs: Zhihua Temple to Dongsi Sitiao
- Qianmen, Dashilar and Yangmeizhu Xiejie to Liulichang
- Temple of Heaven at 7 am: east gate to Circular Mound
- Summer Palace: East Palace Gate, Long Corridor and Seventeen-Arch Bridge
- Niujie and Fayuan Temple: the Hui quarter and Xuannan hutongs
- 798 Art Zone and 751 D-Park
- Ming City Wall Relics Park to the Ancient Observatory