Fragrant Hills (香山公园/Xiangshangongyuan) had been on my list of places to visit in Beijing, but after seeing pictures of it in the autumn I knew I had to visit then as the trees all looked really pretty. Getting there was pretty simple and only involved a couple of buses for me. Fragrant Hills also has its own subway station, so its really accessible from the city centre. As I made my way from the bus stop to the entrance, I was surprised that there were so many people about on a weekday. By this point, I really shouldnt be as there are crowds in most places in China. I enjoyed my walk along the streets leading to the parks entrance and it reminded me of the streets leading the trailheads in Korea and those leading to the temples in Japan, as the streets were filled with restaurants and shops. When I made it to the entrance, it looked like bedlam, there were so many people there. The nice, quiet hike in nature I had envisioned was not to be. I headed to the ticket office, bought my ticket and headed to the queue to enter.
get inside and immediately through the gates, I came to Qinzheng Hall (the Hall of Diligence). The hall was built in 1745 and is a main part of the Jingyi Gardens (the Garden of Tranquility and Appropriateness). It was where the emperor met his officials and dealt with state affairs when visiting the gardens. The other halls around it were used by ministers and other high ranking officials as resting places. You couldnt venture inside the hall, but the outside more than made up for this. It was a beautiful, bold looking building and the large orange leaved tree in front of it was stunning. It definitely felt like autumn. The only annoying thing was the hordes of people. I consulted the map and most people seemed to be taking one route or the cable car, so I opted for the other route to make my way up to the top if the mountain, which I could see high above me.
Fragrant Hills is an offshoot of the Yan mountains and the park was built during the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and has been added to over the years. I made my way along a path that would eventually
lead to the peak. There were a few people about, but it wasnt as busy as it had been at the base. The path also wasnt too steep, which was a blessing considering how unfit I am. I didnt need to head too far uphill as I soon came to Zhi Yuan Zhai. The garden was built during the Qing Dynasty and was an important place where Emperor Qianlong handled official business. There was a pool of water in front of the hall, which reflected the hall and the plants all around it. It was a beautiful and tranquil scene. Continuing on, I made my way higher. The trees above me looked beautiful in the sunlight. I had definitely lucked out with the not only the weather, but also the lack of pollution as the sky was a beautiful shade of blue.
The path lead me further uphill and I came to the Yuhuaxiu Scenic Area. Yuhua Temple was the first building to have been built in 1444 and was followed by Yuhuaxiu Hall and the surrounding buildings in 1745. The buildings were destroyed by the forces in 1860, during the Second Opium War. The area became a
private villa in the early 1930s and in the mid 1950s was opened to the public. Restoration work in the late 1990s. I was quite surprised to see that the area had been turned into a picnic spot as there were lots of tables filled with people eating their lunches, but it is a great spot to stop and take a rest in. I liked looking up and seeing the stone walls above. There were also great views of the temples roofs and the city far, far in the distance. Also the eaves of the roofs looked great in between the autumn foliage.
Walking up and away from Yuhua Temple, I could see all the green trees on the mountain and the cable car carrying those to the peak that didnt want to make the trek up. I got some more glimpses of the city below. Also there were lots of different coloured trees to look at.
