China Landscape Garden Museum is located at No. 15, Shejichang Road, Fengtai District, Beijing. It is China's first national museum themed on gardens and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The scenic area features a systematic display of the history, culture, art, and technology of Chinese gardens, integrating physical exhibitions, scene restorations, and interactive experiences. The building covers an area of approximately 65,000 square meters, with an exhibition area of 12,000 square meters and an outdoor garden exhibition area of 40,000 square meters. It consists of three parts: the main building, indoor exhibition gardens, and outdoor exhibition areas, reflecting the integration of traditional garden architecture and modern museum functions.
History and Culture
The China Landscape Garden Museum opened in May 2013 and serves as an important window for promoting traditional Chinese culture and displaying garden art. Its construction aims to inherit Chinese garden-building techniques and showcase the status of gardens in the development of Chinese civilization. The area where the museum is located has a close historical connection with Beijing's garden culture. The surrounding area was once an extension of the imperial gardens during the Ming and Qing dynasties, carrying rich garden historical heritage.
The museum houses a large number of garden-related cultural relics, ancient books, and models, such as garden components, gardening tools, and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It systematically combs the development context of Chinese gardens from the Pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing dynasties, reflecting the stylistic features and technical achievements of gardens in different eras, and has become an important base for studying Chinese garden culture.
Main Attractions
Main Building
The main building adopts the style of traditional garden architecture, integrating the characteristics of northern imperial gardens and southern private gardens. The roof uses forms such as Xieshan roof and Cuanjian roof, with white walls, gray tiles, and wooden structures, covering a construction area of approximately 35,000 square meters. Inside, there are multiple exhibition halls, including the "Ancient Chinese Garden Hall," "Modern Chinese Garden Hall," and "World Famous Gardens Expo Hall," displaying garden culture through physical objects, models, multimedia, and other means.
Indoor Exhibition Gardens
Indoor exhibition gardens include restored landscapes of classic gardens such as "Pianshi Mountain House" and "Yuyin Mountain House." "Pianshi Mountain House" reproduces the Yangzhou garden designed by Shi Tao, a painter of the Ming Dynasty, featuring rockery and stone stacking, covering an area of about 500 square meters. "Yuyin Mountain House" recreates the exquisite layout of a Qing Dynasty private garden in Guangdong, with pavilions, towers, and water pavilions connected, showcasing the Lingnan garden style.
Outdoor Exhibition Areas
Outdoor exhibition areas feature garden landscapes of different styles, such as the "Northern Residential Garden," "Jiangnan Garden," and "Lingnan Garden." The "Northern Residential Garden" displays the combination of Beijing quadrangles and gardens, reflecting the simplicity and practicality of northern residences. The "Jiangnan Garden," modeled after Suzhou gardens, includes pavilions, corridors, water pavilions, rockeries, and ponds, such as the "Ranxia Mountain House" landscape, covering an area of about 8,000 square meters. The "Lingnan Garden" showcases the exquisite and beautiful gardens in Guangdong, Fujian, and other regions, integrating local architectural characteristics.
Thematic Exhibition Area
The thematic exhibition area regularly hosts thematic exhibitions related to gardens, such as the "Exhibition of Traditional Chinese Garden-Building Techniques" and the "Exhibition of World Garden Culture." Through cultural relics, pictures, interactive installations, and other forms, it deeply interprets the details of garden art, such as stone stacking techniques, plant configuration, and architectural structures, holding about 10-15 exhibitions annually.
Food
In-Museum Light Meals
The museum has a café and a light restaurant, providing light meals such as coffee, tea, sandwiches, and bread, priced between 20-50 yuan, suitable for temporary energy replenishment. The business hours are consistent with the museum's opening hours.
Surrounding Cuisine
There are many dining options around the museum. The "Jingweizhai Roast Duck Restaurant," about 1 kilometer away, offers traditional dishes such as Beijing roast duck and Beijing-style shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, with roast duck priced at about 168 yuan per bird. The "Nancheng Xiang" fast food restaurant serves old Beijing noodles with soybean paste, wontons, etc., with noodles priced at about 25 yuan per serving. The "Jinshoushao" Northeastern restaurant offers dishes like crispy fried pork and stir-fried potatoes, eggplants, and green peppers, with an average consumption of about 60 yuan per person. In addition, there are various choices such as hotpot and Western food in nearby shopping centers.
Tickets
Admission is free, but advance reservation through official channels is required. Temporary special exhibitions may charge fees, subject to the museum's announcement.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "中国园林博物馆" to get the latest updates or make online reservations for tickets.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30) from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Monday (except for legal holidays). During summer and winter vacations, legal holidays, and major events, the opening hours may be adjusted, subject to the museum's official website notice.
Tour Route
Recommended tour route: After entering from the main gate, first visit the "Ancient Chinese Garden Hall" on the first floor of the main building to understand the history of gardens; then go to the "World Famous Gardens Expo Hall" on the second floor to compare the characteristics of Chinese and foreign gardens; next, visit the indoor exhibition gardens "Pianshi Mountain House" and "Yuyin Mountain House" to experience the real scene of traditional gardens; after lunch, go to the outdoor exhibition areas to visit the "Jiangnan Garden," "Northern Residential Garden," and "Lingnan Garden" in turn to enjoy landscapes of different styles; finally, return to the main building to visit the temporary exhibitions in the thematic exhibition area. The whole journey is recommended to take 3-4 hours.
Transportation
- Bus: Take buses 327, 385, or 951 to "Lujing North Station" and walk about 500 meters to reach the museum.
- Subway: Take Subway Line 14 to "Zhangguozhuang Station," transfer to Bus 951 or take a taxi, about 3 kilometers away from the museum.
- Self-driving: Navigate to "China Landscape Garden Museum." The museum has a parking lot with about 200 parking spaces, and the parking fee is 10 yuan per hour.
Must-See Attractions
- Main Building Exhibition Halls: Systematically display the development history of Chinese gardens, with more than 1,000 cultural relics on display, among which the physical objects of Ming and Qing garden components are of great appreciation value.
- Indoor Exhibition Garden "Pianshi Mountain House": A reproduction of the masterwork by Shi Tao, a painter of the Ming Dynasty, with exquisite rockery and stone stacking techniques, covering an area of about 500 square meters, reflecting the artistic conception of literati gardens.
- Outdoor "Jiangnan Garden" Exhibition Area: Modeled after Suzhou gardens, it has pavilions, water pavilions, and winding corridors, with a pond area of about 1,200 square meters. The scenery is beautiful when lotus flowers are in full bloom in summer.
- Thematic Exhibition Area: Regularly holds special garden-themed exhibitions, such as garden-building techniques and plant culture, with about 12 sessions held annually, featuring rich and diverse contents.
Tour Tips
- The recommended tour time is 3-4 hours. Reasonably arrange the visiting time for indoor exhibition halls and outdoor gardens to balance cultural learning and landscape appreciation.
- Follow the museum's official WeChat public account to learn about temporary exhibitions and interactive activities in advance, such as garden lectures and handcraft experiences, about 2-3 sessions per week.
- There are many mosquitoes in the outdoor exhibition areas in summer, so it is recommended to carry mosquito repellent products. Pay attention to keeping warm due to the large temperature difference between indoor and outdoor areas in winter.
- Carry a camera to take pictures of garden landscapes. Flash photography is prohibited in some exhibition halls, so please follow the regulations.
Notes
- Advance reservation is required for entry. Enter the garden with the reservation code or ID card. Those without a reservation may be unable to enter.
- Smoking and dining are prohibited in the museum. You can dine in the designated rest areas to keep the environment clean.
- Take good care of cultural relics and garden landscapes. Do not touch exhibits, pick flowers and trees, or play in the water in outdoor exhibition areas.
- Visitors with children should provide full-time care to avoid chasing and playing in areas such as steps and water edges.
- Pay attention to abiding by the parking lot regulations when driving. When parking spaces are tight, you can choose surrounding public transportation.