Purple Bamboo Park 紫竹院公园

紫竹院路
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of Northwest Beyond the Zoo

This park is worth mentioning mainly because it’s a pleasant way to walk to or from the Wànshòu Sì, although otherwise it’s little different from many other parks in Běijīng. Yuán dynasty in origin, its lakes controlled the flow of water to Běijīng’s moats, and the park was used as a resting place for members of the imperial entourage on their way to and from the Summer Palace.

The park was sufficiently far from Olympic venues to be one of three zones where, during the 2008 games, in a PR move of breathtaking cynism swallowed only by apologists for China on Olympic committees, public protests were to be permitted. But many who began a farcically complex application to demonstrate simply found themselves and those they named as participants arrested and deported from Běijīng. The park remained undisturbed by a single chant or protest banner.

Now it’s a place of magpies, discreetly affectionate couples, motorised rides for children, fishing areas, cafés, snack stalls, boats for hire, the odd duck, and lots of bamboo.

In summer the lake is covered in an impressive display of lotuses.

▶ Zǐzhúyuàn Gōngyuán, Zǐzhú Yuàn Lù, t 6842 5851, 6am–9pm (8pm winter). Free. m National Library (Lines 4 & 9). b to 白石桥西: 特5, 334, 347, 360, 360快车, 588环行.

The Wànshòu Sì is just beyond the northwest corner of the park, on the north bank of the Nán Cháng Hé (river) that runs through the park. Just outside its southwest corner lies the traditional pastimes market, Xīn Guānyuán, a shadow of what it was in its original location and buried underground, but worth visiting nonetheless.

Next in Northwest Beyond the Zoo: Wànshòu Sì
Previously: Five Padoga Temple
Main Index of A Better Guide to Beijing.

For discussion of China travel, see The Oriental-List.