Shichahai () is a historic scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of central

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. They are located directly northwest of the

Forbidden City The Forbidden City () is a Chinese palace, palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, at the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City of Beijing. It is surrounded by numerous opulent imperial gardens and temples includ ...

and north of the Beihai Lake. Shichahai consists of the following three lakes: Qianhai (), Xihai () and

Houhai Houhai ( 'Rear Lake') is a lake and its surrounding neighborhood in Xicheng District of central Beijing, China. Houhai is the largest of the three lakes, along with Qianhai 'Front Lake' and Xihai 'Western Lake', that comprise Shichahai, the co ...

(). In imperial times it was called the ''Riverbank'' ().

Description

Shichahai consists of 147 hectares and dates back to the Jin Dynasty. From the time of the

Yuan Dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...

it was the northernmost part of the Grand Canal linking

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

in the south to Beijing in the North of China. Because of this, the Shichahai area used to be the most important commercial district with all kinds of activities going on. It harbors several temples and mansions. Shichahai literally means "the lake of ten temples". Around the lake there are ten famous

Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

temples and several formal royal mansions and gardens. The most well known are the

Prince Gong Mansion Prince Gong's Mansion, also known as the Prince Kung Mansion, is a museum and tourist attraction located in Xicheng District, Beijing, just north of the Shichahai Lake. It consists of large siheyuan-style mansions and gardens. Originally c ...

and the

Prince Chun Mansion The Prince Chun Mansion (), also known as the Northern Mansion (北府, ''Běifǔ''), is a large residence in the siheyuan style with lavish private garden located near the Shichahai neighborhood in central Beijing. The grounds had been part of a ...

. Shichahai is a famous scenic spot in Beijing, and it is near the north-gate of the Beihai Park. The borders of the lakes are lined by tall trees. In the summer tourists rent boats to paddle on the lakes. In the winter many people come to ice-skate. In 1992, the municipal government of Beijing declared it as a "Historical and Cultural Scenic Area".

Gallery

Beijing Shichahai 1.jpg, Shichahai Beijing Shichahai.jpg, Shichahai shishahai_2.jpg, A group of buildings at the border of the Shichahai Beijing Shichahai bridge.jpg, "Silver Ingot"- or "Yinding" bridge ()

External links

* {{Old Beijing Gardens in Beijing Tourist attractions in Beijing Xicheng District

Description

Gallery

See also

External links