Zhongshan Park is located on the west side of Tiananmen Square in Dongcheng District, Beijing, adjacent to the Forbidden City. Covering an area of 23.8 hectares, it is a commemorative garden that integrates classical altars and temples with modern landscape gardening. The scenic area was formerly the Sheji Altar of the Ming and Qing dynasties (built in 1420). In 1914, it was converted into Beijing's first public garden, "Central Park", and was renamed in 1928 to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen. It is currently a national 4A-level tourist attraction and a key national cultural relic protection unit, featuring the "Five-Color Soil Altar", "Liao Dynasty Cypress Trees", and "Centennial Floral Events". It boasts more than 10 ancient buildings and 602 ancient trees over a hundred years old, including 7 Liao Dynasty cypresses with a history of over a thousand years.
Historical and Cultural Heritage
As a representative of the ritual system of "Ancestral Temple on the Left and Sheji Altar on the Right", emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held 1,372 Sheji sacrifices here (including 328 imperial personal presided ceremonies). The Five-Color Soil Altar symbolizes "All land under the heaven belongs to the king", with soil collected from five directions across the country (such as yellow soil from Zhili in the Ming Dynasty, red soil from Zhejiang, etc., and soil from Fangshan and Zhuozhou in the Qing Dynasty), reflecting the agrarian civilization's reverence for the land.
In 1914, Zhu Qiqian presided over the renovation, opening it to the public for the first time. Figures like Li Dazhao and Lu Xun once held gatherings here. In 1925, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's coffin was placed in the Worship Hall (now Zhongshan Hall), and in 1928, it was renamed Zhongshan Park. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, leading comrades of the Party and the state have participated in activities here many times, and it is now an important venue for political and cultural activities in the capital.
Retaining ancient architectural complexes such as the Sheji Altar and Divine Kitchen, relocating the Orchid Pavilion Stele Pavilion from the Old Summer Palace and the Ming Dynasty Ritual Pavilion, and adding garden landscapes like Tanghua Wu and Shui Xie, it forms a unique style of "Ancient Altar with New Greenery", and was awarded the first batch of Beijing Boutique Parks in 2002.
Main Attractions
Five-Color Soil Altar
The core building of the Sheji Altar, the altar surface is paved with five-color soils: east green, south red, west white, north black, and central yellow. It is 15.8 meters long and 0.98 meters high, symbolizing the five directions and five elements. During Ming and Qing sacrifices, the emperor had to perform nine grand rituals such as welcoming the gods and the initial offering. The existing altar walls, Lingxing Gates, and other complete regulations make it the best-preserved Sheji sacrifice site in China.
Zhongshan Hall (Former Worship Hall)
Built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, it has a width of 5 bays and a depth of 3 bays, with a hip roof covered in yellow glazed tiles. In 1925, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's coffin was placed here, and it is now a memorial exhibition hall displaying cultural relics such as the "Premier's Last Will". A bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen (3.4 meters high, erected in 1985 with an inscription by Deng Xiaoping) stands in the square outside the hall.
Peace Preservation Arch
Originally the Klinde Memorial in 1901, it was relocated here in 1919 and renamed in 1953. The arch is 10.9 meters high, made of white marble, with the inscription "Defend Peace" engraved on both sides (by Guo Moruo). It records the historical transition from humiliation to resistance.
Tanghua Wu (Greenhouse)
Built in 1915, covering an area of 417.5 square meters, the complex of ancient-style buildings resembles a flying swallow with outstretched wings, decorated with colored glass and water stones covered in green moss. As the earliest greenhouse in Beijing, it now exhibits peonies and plum blossoms year-round. The "Tanghua" (out-of-season flowers) in the twelfth lunar month has become a traditional grand spectacle.
Shui Xie (Water Pavilion) Scenic Area
Built in 1916, it is a three-sided courtyard building by the water, with the north hall half-suspended over the water and a circular corridor with benches. Surrounded by Yinghui Pavilion and Tingyu Bridge, it features a pond full of lotus flowers in summer and an interesting ice surface in winter, creating a poetic space in the park.
Huifang Garden
Built in 1993, covering an area of 1 hectare, it is themed around orchids, planting more than a hundred varieties such as spring orchids and cymbidiums, with rockeries and waterfalls. The "Orchid Room" displays orchid varieties gifted by Zhu De, and the spring orchid exhibition is a featured activity.
Gourmet
Laijinyuxuan Winter Vegetable Steamed Buns
A signature dish of the century-old teahouse (founded in 1915), it uses Nanchong, Sichuan's intangible cultural heritage Sichuan winter vegetables, hand-wrapped with 26 pleats, and served with Ya'an rose black tea. Lu Xun visited 60 times.
Imperial Pea Pudding
Another signature of Laijinyuxuan, with a smooth texture and rich pea flavor, 10 RMB per piece, paired with four side dishes like cherry radishes (28 RMB per serving), suitable for relieving greasiness.
Tickets
Regular ticket: 3 RMB/person, during flower seasons: 10 RMB/person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "北京市中山公园" to get the latest updates. As of 2025-06-19, this official WeChat public account does not provide online ticketing services.
Opening Hours
Park: 6:00—21:00 (stop entering at 20:30); Ancient Building Area: 8:30—17:00 (stop entering at 16:30); Laijinyuxuan: 9:00—19:00. Open year-round, closed for half a day on New Year's Eve.
Tour Routes
【Classic 2-Hour Route】South Gate → Peace Preservation Arch → Sun Yat-sen Bronze Statue → Five-Color Soil Altar (including Divine Kitchen and Divine Warehouse) → Zhongshan Hall → Tanghua Wu (flower viewing) → Shui Xie (break) → Exit from North Gate
【In-depth 4-Hour Route】South Gate → Liao Cypress Group (thousand-year-old "Locust-Cypress Embrace") → Animal Slaughter Pavilion → Five-Color Soil → Orchid Pavilion Stele Pavilion (relocated from Old Summer Palace) → Huifang Garden (spring orchids) → Lunch at Laijinyuxuan → Shui Xie → Yuyuan (newly built garden) → Exit from West Gate
Transportation
- Subway: Exit B of Line 1 "Tiananmen West" Station, 300 meters walk (recommended)
- Bus: Routes 1/5/52/Sightseeing Line 1 at "Tiananmen West" Station, 5-minute walk
- Self-driving: There is no parking lot nearby. It is recommended to park in the underground parking lot of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (10 RMB per hour).
Must-See Attractions
- Five-Color Soil Altar: The only imperial-level five-color soil in China, combining historical and ritual significance
- Tanghua Wu: April tulip exhibition (over 500,000 plants), out-of-season peonies in winter
- Zhongshan Hall: The place where Sun Yat-sen's coffin was placed, a window to understand the history of the Republic of China
- Liao Cypress Group: 1,000-year-old cypresses, the wonder of "Locust-Cypress Embrace" (southeast side of the inner altar)
Tour Tips
- Visit in mid-early April when tulips and peonies bloom together (best flower sea beside Tanghua Wu)
- Wear comfortable shoes, as there are many stone paths, about 15,000 steps in total
- Enter the park before 9:00 am to avoid tour groups; the light is suitable for photographing ancient buildings after 4:00 pm
- Take a number 1 hour in advance at Laijinyuxuan, must-order winter vegetable buns, black tea can be refilled
- For the elderly and children, you can rent a scooter at the South Gate (30 RMB/hour, deposit 200 RMB)
Notes
- No pets or drones allowed, no touching cultural relics in the ancient building area
- Large crowds on weekends during flower seasons, Tanghua Wu may have limited access (recommended to avoid peak hours on weekdays)
- No smoking in the Sheji Altar area, garbage sorting throughout the park
- During the May peony exhibition, the West Gate (Nan Chang Street) is temporarily open to avoid congestion
- Zhongshan Hall is closed on Mondays, check the official website for announcements before visiting