Jingshan Park

Going through the Gate of Divine Prowess, the northern end of the Imperial Palace, you will come to Jing Shan. Jingshan Park (Coal Hill Park) is located in the south-to-north axis of Beiing City, abutting on the Shenwu Gate (Gate of Devine Might) of the Forbidden City to the south, facing the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower to the north, and neighboring the Beihai Park to the west. It is the best place overlooking the city of Beijing, and having a panoramic view over the Forbidden City.

The park covers an area of 22.3 hectares with a 60 meter high hill in it. It was the pleasure garden of the emperors of the Yuan Ming and Qing dynasties. More than 600 years ago in the Yuan dynasty there was a small hill here called "Qingshan" meaning Green Hill. This small hill preceded the present hill which is called Jingshan meaning Scenic Hill. Legend has it that a Ming emperor hoarded coal at this spot and today it is still popularly known as Coal Hill. The hill was mostly formed with earth excavated in creating the Forbidden City's moat. It was a natural dumping gorund because a hill at this point would protect the imperial palace against evil spirits, which, according to superstition, emanated from the north. However, it did shelter the palace from the dust storms from Mongolia in winter.

In 1751 the Qing Emperor Qianlong built five exquisite pavilions on the hill. The largest one is square standing in the middle at the hill top and the other four placed symmetrically on the two sides in pairs, one pair is round and the other pair octagonal. Seen from afar, they look like five fancy vases, or a set of beautiful pieces of arts and crafts. The largest pavilion, the three-story Pavilion of Ten Thousand Springs, can be reached by a path up the side of the hill and the view from the top is magnificent, coupling not only a view of the Imperial Palace but also modern-day Beijing.

Going up the hill from the east, there was a very old locust tree on the slope from which the last Ming emperor, having slain his family with his own hand, hanged himself on March 19th, 1644 when the city fell in the hands of Li Zicheng, one of the greatest leaders of the peasant rebellion which led to the downfall of the Ming dynasty.