Behai Park
Behai Park is located in central Beijing north and west of the Forbidden City. It contains Behai Lake which is connected to other lakes. The area first became an imperial park about 1000 years ago and as is common with gardens each new owner made his mark. It is dominated by the White Dogba, a Tibetan pagoda containing religious relics built over 400 years ago and rebuilt following 2 earthquakes. The park contains many different garden and built areas but after a slow start to the day and a long walk I only had time to visit the southern-most ones before dusk overtook me. I expect I will return again.
This was part of a display on the lake shore near the entrance.
This is the bridge to the island within the lake on which the White Dogba, just visible through the gloom, and other buildings are found.
These people, and others, were dancing to the right of the end of the bridge shown in the previous photo. They appear to be from a western China minority and were obviously enjoying themselves. It is common for Chinese to sing and dance in parks or open places. Sometimes it is a group effort such as this, sometimes an individual or pair and sometimes a busking effort. When I was about to leave the island I sat on one of the seats for a rest. The woman already there had been quietly singing while a musical something played beneath a cloth on her lap. She stopped singing for about 5 minutes and then resumed, but disappeared soon after I did.
This building is behind the tall tower gate entrance at the other end of the bridge from the first photo. The bronze critters are shiny because people rub and fondle them. The entrance in the building leads into a temple.
Inside the grounds of the temple. The red objects on the tree and also on an urn are for good luck and special wishes. ie visible demonstrations of prayers.
After a very long steep walk up stairs this is a shot of the top of the White Dogba and the ajoining temple glazed with buddha images.
This is one of the many Taihu stones shipped from Henan province hundreds of years ago. This is an attractive one on a bit of a goat track down from the pagoda but there were others composed into vast decorated underground caverns which I didn’t enter.
Looking through a doorway in a tower within the park.
The tower from the previous photo a couple of hours later.
There was a long curving corridor down near the water. A man was leading a tricycle on which some chairs were stacked.
The roof of the corridor was painted with squares of cranes. Each section was separated by a beam containing paintings of nature or Chinese tradition.
A boat which moved very fast. Small pedal and battery operated boats were available for hire.
I wandered into a restaurant complex. This was the view through one of the doorways into another courtyard.
The view into one of the gardens from the curved corridor.
Another gateway near the water.
A more impressive gateway for the temples above the wall behind it. Flowers have been sculptured into urns and baskets.
Some of the figures on top of an imperial temple above the previous gateway.
Path through part of the gardens.
Exterior to Chengguang Hall in Tuancheng City, an area of buildings at the opposite end of the bridge in the first photo. It is a buddhist temple which was very plain in character with a rather atttractive statue of Buddha.
This is the carved jade container used by Kublai Khan to serve wine to visitors to his court. It is said to be the only remaining artifact from his time. He invaded China and started the Yuan Dynasty in 1271. Marco Polo visited China at the time of Kublai Khan and publicised his visits which is why westerners are familiar with his name. It was dusk by the time I reached it so we are lucky to see it. I had read that it was a jar so was surprised to see such an irregularly shaped object.
