Zhongshan Park (Beijing)
中山公园
The former Altar of Land and Grain on the west side of Tiananmen. It is known for its five-colored earth altar and the spring tulip festival, and offers close views of the Forbidden City moat and corner towers.
Zhongshan Park was originally the Altar of Land and Grain, where Ming and Qing emperors worshipped the gods of soil and grain. The altar platform is paved with five colors of earth, symbolizing east (blue), south (red), west (white), north (black), and center (yellow). The park includes Zhongshan Hall, the Tanghua Greenhouse, the Eight Pillars of the Lanting Pavilion, the Motto Pavilion, and several Liao-dynasty cypresses. The tulip festival held every April is a major Beijing spring attraction. Admission is about 3 yuan. Enter on the west side of Tiananmen, and walk through the north gate to reach the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City and the moat. A visit takes about an hour. It suits an early-morning visit or a stroll after the flag-raising ceremony.
Opening hours
6:00 am–9:00 pm (shorter hours in winter)
Nearby sights
- Tiananmen Square
- Imperial Ancestral Temple
- National Centre for the Performing Arts
- Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
- National Museum of China
- Zhengyangmen (Qianmen)
- Lao She Teahouse
- The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)