Located on the west side of the Yongding River in Fengtai District, Beijing, the Beijing Garden Expo Park was the venue for the 9th China International Garden Expo. The scenic area is rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction. With distinct features, the park centrally displays the essence of domestic and international garden art, skillfully integrating traditional garden culture with modern landscape design to form a large-scale garden landscape cluster with both ornamental and cultural connotations. The scenic area has a large number of buildings, including various exhibition gardens, pavilions, landmark buildings, etc., covering a total area of about 513 hectares, of which the core area covers about 267 hectares. It is a comprehensive scenic area integrating garden art display, cultural exchange, and leisure entertainment.
History and Culture
The construction of Beijing Garden Expo Park originated from the need to host the 9th China International Garden Expo. In 2013, the 9th Garden Expo was successfully held in Beijing, and the Garden Expo Park, as its main venue, undertook the important mission of displaying Chinese garden culture and garden characteristics from various regions. During the expo, it attracted a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, becoming an important cultural event in Beijing and even the whole country that year.
After the closure of the Garden Expo, Beijing Garden Expo Park was optimized and upgraded, and continued to be open to the public, becoming an important place for Beijing citizens and tourists to experience garden art and feel traditional culture. Many exhibition gardens and landscapes are preserved in the park, which not only reflect the garden styles of different regions but also contain rich historical and cultural heritage, becoming an important carrier for spreading Chinese garden culture.
Main Attractions
Yongding Tower
Yongding Tower is one of the landmark buildings of Beijing Garden Expo Park, located in the core area of the park. The tower is about 69.7 meters high, with an octagonal nine-story structure, built in the traditional wooden structure form, with a simple and elegant appearance and magnificent momentum. The design of the tower integrates elements of traditional Chinese architectural culture, and climbing to the top of the tower offers a panoramic view of the entire Garden Expo Park, making it a must-visit scenic spot for tourists.
China Garden Museum
The China Garden Museum is the first national museum in China with the theme of gardens, located in Beijing Garden Expo Park. The museum has a unique architectural style, perfectly combining traditional gardens with modern architecture. The museum displays the development history, artistic achievements, and cultural connotations of Chinese gardens, comprehensively introducing the charm of Chinese gardens to visitors through rich exhibits, scene reproductions, and multimedia displays.
Recall Jiangnan Scenic Area
The Recall Jiangnan Scenic Area shows the garden characteristics of the Jiangnan water town. In the scenic area, small bridges and flowing water, pink walls and black tiles, pavilions and towers set each other off, creating a Jiangnan artistic conception of "the river flowers are redder than fire in the sunrise, and the river water is as green as blue in spring". A large number of Jiangnan characteristic plants are planted in the garden, matched with exquisite garden ornaments, allowing visitors to feel as if they are in the Jiangnan water town and experience the gentleness and elegance of Jiangnan gardens.
Beijing Garden
Located in an important position in the Garden Expo Park, Beijing Garden centrally displays the style and characteristics of traditional Beijing gardens. The scenic area takes royal gardens and courtyard gardens as design inspiration, with a rigorous layout and exquisite architecture, reflecting the profound cultural heritage of Beijing as an ancient capital. The pavilions, corridors, rockeries, pools and other landscapes in the garden are cleverly designed, showing the solemn and elegant unique charm of Beijing gardens.
Food
Beijing Roast Duck
Beijing Roast Duck is a classic food in Beijing, and some restaurants in and around the Garden Expo Park provide authentic Beijing Roast Duck. The duck skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and it is eaten with thin pancakes, scallion segments, cucumbers, and sweet bean sauce, with rich flavors, making it one of the first choices for tourists to taste Beijing food.
Old Beijing Noodles with Soybean Paste
Old Beijing Noodles with Soybean Paste is also a food loved by tourists. The noodles are chewy, the soybean paste is fragrant, and it is served with vegetable garnishes such as cucumbers, bean sprouts, and radishes, with a mellow taste. This traditional pasta can be tasted in some restaurants in the Garden Expo Park and surrounding restaurants.
Pea Paste
Pea Paste is a traditional snack in Beijing, with a delicate taste and sweet flavor, having the effect of clearing heat and relieving summer heat. In the snack stalls of the Garden Expo Park or surrounding specialty food stores, visitors can buy delicious Pea Paste as a snack during leisure time.
Surrounding Food
There are also some other special foods around the Garden Expo Park, such as Luzhu Huoshao, a traditional snack mainly made of pig offal, with a strong taste; and Chao Gan, with a mellow taste and pungent garlic flavor, both of which are characteristic foods of old Beijing and worth a try.
Tickets
Free admission.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "北京园博园见证精彩" in WeChat to get the latest updates.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are from 8:00 to 17:00 every day (admission stops at 16:30). The scenic area is open throughout the year, and the specific opening hours may be slightly adjusted according to the season and actual situation. It is recommended that visitors pay attention to the official information of the scenic area before going.
Tour Routes
Classic One-Day Tour Route
Morning: Enter from the main entrance of the park, first visit the China Garden Museum to understand the history and culture of Chinese gardens; then go to Yongding Tower to overlook the whole park; then visit Beijing Garden to feel the charm of traditional Beijing gardens.
Noon: Dine in the park's restaurants and taste Beijing special foods.
Afternoon: Go to the Recall Jiangnan Scenic Area to enjoy the garden landscape of the Jiangnan water town; then visit other special exhibition gardens, such as Lingnan Garden and Min Garden, to appreciate the garden styles of different regions; finally, according to the time arrangement, choose to visit other attractions in the park or rest and shop.
Cultural Experience Route
Morning: After entering the park, go directly to the China Garden Museum to deeply understand the development context and artistic achievements of Chinese gardens; then visit the cultural exhibition halls in the park to feel the integration of garden culture and other cultures.
Noon: Dine in the park.
Afternoon: Visit the exhibition gardens with historical and cultural characteristics, such as Xi'an Garden and Hangzhou Garden, to understand the cases of combining historical cultures of different regions with gardens; finally, go to Yongding Tower to feel the cultural connotations of traditional architecture.
Transportation
- Subway: Take Subway Line 14 to Garden Expo Park Station, exit from Exit A, and walk to the park.
- Bus: Take buses such as Special 55, 327, 951, 994, etc., get off at Garden Expo Park Station, and walk to the park.
- Self-driving: You can exit from the Garden Expo Park South Road Exit of the West 5th Ring Road, follow the road signs to the park, and there is a parking lot in the park.
Must-visit Attractions
- Yongding Tower: The landmark building of the park, overlooking the whole park from the tower, about 69.7 meters high, octagonal nine-story structure, traditional wooden structure form, highly ornamental and symbolic.
- China Garden Museum: The first national museum with the theme of gardens in China, the building integrates tradition and modernity, and the museum has rich exhibits, comprehensively displaying Chinese garden culture.
- Recall Jiangnan Scenic Area: Showing the characteristics of Jiangnan water towns, small bridges and flowing water, pink walls and black tiles, creating a typical Jiangnan garden artistic conception, allowing visitors to feel the charm of Jiangnan.
- Beijing Garden: Reflecting the style of traditional Beijing gardens, inspired by royal gardens and courtyard gardens, with exquisite architecture and rigorous layout, highlighting the cultural heritage of the ancient capital.
Tour Tips
- It is recommended to arrange one day for the tour to fully appreciate each attraction in the park.
- Wear comfortable shoes, as the park is large and walking requires a lot of physical strength.
- Pay attention to sun protection and heatstroke prevention in summer, keep warm in winter, and carry clothes reasonably according to the season.
- Understand the park map and attraction distribution in advance, plan the tour route, and improve tour efficiency.
- You can bring some snacks and drinking water. There are also catering facilities in the park, but the prices may be relatively high.
Notes
- Abide by the rules and regulations of the scenic area and follow the guidance and management of the staff.
- Take care of the flowers, trees, and architectural facilities in the scenic area, and do not pick or damage them at will.
- Keep the environmental hygiene of the scenic area, and do not spit or litter.
- Smoking and open flames are prohibited in the scenic area, and pay attention to fire safety.
- Tourists with children should take good care of them to avoid accidents.
- In case of an emergency, contact the staff of the scenic area in time or call the emergency rescue phone of the scenic area.