Xiangshan Park (Fragrant Hills)

[Photo/VCG]

Xiangshan Park which is also known as the Forest Park is located on the eastern side of the Western Hills and is approximately 10 kilometers to the west of the centre of Beijing.

Autumn colors have begun to fade in the Chinese capital as winter sets in. But it is not too late to get a last glance of autumn at Fragrant Hills in west Beijing, where the fall foliage is still out in full force. 

Due to its high elevation and dense cover of trees, spring arrives late in the area and summer days are always pleasantly cool. The best time to visit the park is in late fall when the tree leaves turn red making a grand display. There are also groves of apricots, pears, peaches and lilacs adding fragrance to the air and solemn evergreens whose contribution to the local beauty is unrestricted by seasonal changes.

The maple leaves of the Fragrant Hills glowed red in the sunlight. 

In 1186 of the Jin Dynasty, the Xiangshan Temple was built here and for a period it served as the emperor's traveling lodge. In 1745, Emperor Qianlong had a number of large halls, pagodas, memorial archways and leisure pavilions built and changed the name of the area to the Garden of Peacefulness (Jingyiyuan). This complex served the famous Qing ruler as one of his summer palaces and became one of the three favorite hills of Qianlong along with Jade Spring Mountain (Yuquanshan) and Longevity Hill (Wanshoushan) in the Summer Palace area.