Jingshan Park - Beijing"s Playground
My wife and I have travelled to Beijing twice in the last 27 months and we find ourselves continually drawn to the unique Chinese park culture that we have had the pleasure to witness on many occasions while there. I don't know if Jingshan Park, which is located near the hotel where we stay, is a typical example of Chinese park culture, but it certainly is an entertaining and uplifting place to wander around.
No matter what time of day or night it is, there is always something going on. People gather in groups singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and playing games of various descriptions. They exercise, they walk, they do tai chi, and it is all done with good humour and enthusiasm. I have often thought that if we were to wander around a park in a typical western park at night, we would be running the risk of being mugged, but that is not even a consideration at Jingshan Park. We have been to the park very many times in two trips to Beijing, and I doubt that we have ever left the park not feeling better than we felt upon arrival.
Jingshan Park is located across the road from the northern end of The Forbidden City. In fact, the substantial hill which is a feature of Jingshan Park and which for centuries was the highest point in Beijing, was formed from the soil which was excavated for the moat which surrounds The Forbidden City. This was done six hundred years ago, and it is truly staggering to contemplate the enormity of the project. There is a series of temples on this hill culminating in the main temple at the top of the hill, from which on a clear day or night, wonderful views in all directions can be had of Beijing. In particular, during the day you get a panoramic view of The Forbidden City. In days past emperors and their entourage would wander around Jingshan Park, and in fact one emperor hanged himself in the park when unable to escape a forthcoming rebellion.
If you really want to see Jingshan Park in full swing, then Sunday is the day on which to go there. People must come from miles around because the number of bicycles and electric bikes and motor scooters to be seen parked outside is staggering. You go through the gates and you don't know where to look first. We turned left inside the gate and there were about twenty or so people who were obviously members of some ethnic Chinese group who were doing a very flirtatious and fun dance in couples. It was great fun to watch and my wife happily joined in, much to the delight of the locals. I have threatened to put the resulting video on Youtube, but I think she may have vetoed the idea.
Keep walking and you come across more groups often comprising fifty or a hundred people enjoying all sorts of activities. It is not always apparent to this foreigner what exactly they are doing, but one group seemed to be involved in a group recital of something which was written in Mandarin on a board in front of them. Smaller groups of people gather around individuals who are singing with the assistance of microphone and speakers. Another big group of people can be seen dancing to music coming from more speakers. Others have a great time line dancing. And in one corner of the park in particular, literally hundreds if not thousands of people are singing songs with the accompaniment of a band. The amazing thing is that everyone seems to know all the words to all the songs. They sing with such gusto and obvious enjoyment that it is a joy to behold.
Everywhere in between all of this activity can be seen people playing games, including a game in which they form a circle and kick something like a shuttlecock to each other without using their hands. It is very much like the game of hacky sack, for those of you who are familiar with that. Frisbies fly back and forth and people are always to be seen somewhere indulging their passions for various forms of exercise.
An interesting thing about parks in China is the fact that people are not meant to stray onto the grassy areas, and almost to a person, they obey this regulation. They stick to the paved areas and I guess this saves the grass from constant trampling by thousands of people on a regular basis. Perhaps if they didn't obey this regulation there would be no grass.
China is a wonderful place to visit with countless world-class attractions, so I think it says something about Jingshan Park that my wife and I find it to be probably the most memorable of places that we have seen in our time there.
No matter what time of day or night it is, there is always something going on. People gather in groups singing, dancing, playing musical instruments and playing games of various descriptions. They exercise, they walk, they do tai chi, and it is all done with good humour and enthusiasm. I have often thought that if we were to wander around a park in a typical western park at night, we would be running the risk of being mugged, but that is not even a consideration at Jingshan Park. We have been to the park very many times in two trips to Beijing, and I doubt that we have ever left the park not feeling better than we felt upon arrival.
Jingshan Park is located across the road from the northern end of The Forbidden City. In fact, the substantial hill which is a feature of Jingshan Park and which for centuries was the highest point in Beijing, was formed from the soil which was excavated for the moat which surrounds The Forbidden City. This was done six hundred years ago, and it is truly staggering to contemplate the enormity of the project. There is a series of temples on this hill culminating in the main temple at the top of the hill, from which on a clear day or night, wonderful views in all directions can be had of Beijing. In particular, during the day you get a panoramic view of The Forbidden City. In days past emperors and their entourage would wander around Jingshan Park, and in fact one emperor hanged himself in the park when unable to escape a forthcoming rebellion.
If you really want to see Jingshan Park in full swing, then Sunday is the day on which to go there. People must come from miles around because the number of bicycles and electric bikes and motor scooters to be seen parked outside is staggering. You go through the gates and you don't know where to look first. We turned left inside the gate and there were about twenty or so people who were obviously members of some ethnic Chinese group who were doing a very flirtatious and fun dance in couples. It was great fun to watch and my wife happily joined in, much to the delight of the locals. I have threatened to put the resulting video on Youtube, but I think she may have vetoed the idea.
Keep walking and you come across more groups often comprising fifty or a hundred people enjoying all sorts of activities. It is not always apparent to this foreigner what exactly they are doing, but one group seemed to be involved in a group recital of something which was written in Mandarin on a board in front of them. Smaller groups of people gather around individuals who are singing with the assistance of microphone and speakers. Another big group of people can be seen dancing to music coming from more speakers. Others have a great time line dancing. And in one corner of the park in particular, literally hundreds if not thousands of people are singing songs with the accompaniment of a band. The amazing thing is that everyone seems to know all the words to all the songs. They sing with such gusto and obvious enjoyment that it is a joy to behold.
Everywhere in between all of this activity can be seen people playing games, including a game in which they form a circle and kick something like a shuttlecock to each other without using their hands. It is very much like the game of hacky sack, for those of you who are familiar with that. Frisbies fly back and forth and people are always to be seen somewhere indulging their passions for various forms of exercise.
An interesting thing about parks in China is the fact that people are not meant to stray onto the grassy areas, and almost to a person, they obey this regulation. They stick to the paved areas and I guess this saves the grass from constant trampling by thousands of people on a regular basis. Perhaps if they didn't obey this regulation there would be no grass.
China is a wonderful place to visit with countless world-class attractions, so I think it says something about Jingshan Park that my wife and I find it to be probably the most memorable of places that we have seen in our time there.
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