Fragrant Hills Park 香山公园Xiāngshān Gōngyuán

Why go to Fragrant Hills Park

At the foot of the Western Hills in Haidian District, Fragrant Hills Park is a former imperial garden of pine and cypress forest, temples and pavilions climbing to Incense Burner Peak. Walk up past Xiangshan Temple, rebuilt and reopened in 2017 after being destroyed in 1860 and 1900, towards the summit; from mid-October to early November the smoke trees turn the slopes red and draw very large crowds.

The story

Xiang here means incense rather than fragrance: the hills are thought to take their name from Incense Burner Peak, where two large rocks resemble incense burners. The imperial retreat dates back to 1186 under the Jin dynasty, and the Qianlong Emperor enlarged it in 1745 as the Garden of Tranquillity and Pleasure.

What to see at Fragrant Hills Park

• Spectacles Lake 眼镜湖: A small lake with a bridge on the north route, near the park's north gate.
• Jianxin Study 见心斋: A Ming-era garden courtyard set inside the park, built around a pool and a quiet place to rest on the north route.
• Zhao Miao 昭庙: A Tibetan-style temple complex built in 1780 for the sixth Panchen Lama, with a glazed-tile archway, a terrace and a glazed-tile pagoda.
• Xiangshan Temple 香山寺: Rebuilt on the hillside and reopened in 2017, a quiet temple on the way up the slope.
• Incense Burner Peak 香炉峰: The park's highest point at about 575 m, topped by two large rocks said to look like incense burners, with views over the red-leaf slopes.

How to visit Fragrant Hills Park

Enter by the east or north gate and take either the north route past Spectacles Lake, Jianxin Study and Zhao Miao, or the steeper south route up Incense Burner Peak. The summit takes two to three hours return on foot; a half-day visit suits one route, and you can add Biyun Temple, just outside the north gate, if you have time.

How to get to Fragrant Hills Park

Take Metro Line 10 to Bagou and change to the Xijiao light-rail line, which ends at Fragrant Hills station by the park; a taxi from central Beijing takes about an hour, much longer on autumn weekends.

Where to stay

There are few places to stay near the park, so base in Haidian near the Summer Palace or in central Beijing and take the Xijiao light-rail line.

What to eat

• Candied hawthorn skewers 冰糖葫芦: Sugar-glazed hawthorn berries on a stick, a Beijing street snack widely sold in parks and temple fairs.
• Temple vegetarian meal 素斋: Meat-free dishes of tofu, mushrooms and vegetables in the Buddhist temple tradition, served in some restaurants around Fragrant Hills and Biyun Temple.

Tips for visiting Fragrant Hills Park

• In red-leaf season go on a weekday and arrive early: weekends bring the heaviest crowds and traffic controls around the park, while the Xijiao line runs extra trains.
• The summit cable car has been closed for an upgrade, so check whether it is running before you go, or be ready to climb on foot.
• Find Zhao Miao, a Tibetan-style temple the Qianlong Emperor built in 1780 for the visiting sixth Panchen Lama, with a glazed-tile pagoda whose eave bells ring in the breeze.

Nearby

• Summer Palace 颐和园 under 10 km
  An imperial lakeside garden of painted corridors, temple-topped hills and a marble boat
• Old Summer Palace 圆明园 under 10 km
  Broken marble arches of Qing European-style palaces beside lakes of summer lotus
• Marco Polo Bridge 卢沟桥 20 km
  An 800-year-old stone bridge lined with hundreds of carved lions, by a walled Ming fort
• Tanzhe Temple 潭柘寺 20 km
  Terraced temple courtyards in the western hills, shaded by ancient ginkgos and cypresses
• Bird's Nest and Olympic Green 奥林匹克公园 20 km
  The Bird's Nest and Water Cube, venues of the 2008 and 2022 Olympics, lit up after dark
• Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府 20 km
  A Qing courtyard mansion and rock garden, home first to a corrupt minister, then a prince

Also within 30 km: Tuancheng Fortress 团城演武厅 (under 10 km), China National Botanical Garden 国家植物园 (under 10 km), Badachu 八大处 (under 10 km), Fahai Temple 法海寺 (under 10 km), Cheng'en Temple 承恩寺 (under 10 km), Luanzhou Uprising Memorial Park 辛亥滦州起义纪念园 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Fragrant Hills Park on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)