Get outdoors at Beijing's best parks this weekend

Whether it's a picnic, peace and quiet or play, there's a park for it all

As a ring-road and high-rise-laden metropolis of more than 20 million people, you might not immediately think of Beijing as a haven for greenery, fine landscaping or peaceful urban retreats. Well, think again, because not only does our city now boast almost 50 percent forest coverage (whoop!), we’ve also got a glut of marvellous city parks fit for every and any outdoor occasion. Here's our pick of the bunch.

Ritan Park

This urban oasis has plenty of grassy areas, shaded benches, pavilions and lakeside seats where you can set up camp. A popular park throughout the day (and into the night), here you can watch people dancing, practising taichi or catching a snap or two amid marvellous flower displays. It’s also only a 15- to 30-minute walk away from The Place, Parkview Green and Central Park, so there's plenty of opportunity for you to load up your picnic basket with tasty treats before you go.

 Ritan Park (日坛公园) 6 Ritan Bei Lu, Chaoyang district.

Tuanjiehu Park

At dusk (or dawn) you’ll find locals congregating at this city park, dotted in concrete courtyards and beneath willow trees. Elderly men and women practise taichi, and ordinarily timid office workers jump up and down to vigorous aerobics routines or lilt to romantic waltzes. Elsewhere, the encircling lake offers opportunities for boating, and some serious fish-watching – the carp population is absolutely thriving here, and actually make for a far more intriguing spectacle than that sentence may first sound. Tuanjiehu Park also has a bumpin’ water park, open in the summer months.

 Tuanjiehu Park (团结湖公园) 16 Tuanjiehu Nan Li, Chaoyang district. 

Ditan Park

Photo: Leeluv/Wikimedia Commons

Formerly known as Jingzhao Park, Ditan Park was once a site of religious worship in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and remnants of its rich historical past remain tucked among cricket courts and playgrounds, most notably the Fangze Tan altar platform at its centre (entry is 5RMB). If your outdoor aspirations are less history-focused, then the wealth of nooks to kick back in will surely satisfy, whether it's shaded benches in bamboo forests or expanses of grass to lay down a rug upon.

 Ditan Park (地坛公园) Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng district.

Longtan Park

One of the largest modern parks inside Beijing's Second Ring Road, Longtan Park boasts elegantly arched bridges, towering rock formations – and a whole lot of recreational activities for kids. Take a duck-shaped boat (30-60RMB) to the island, where kids can zip around on their rollerblades or ride in the Challenger, a virtual spaceship not designed for the claustrophobic (15RMB). Bigger kids can also enjoy the array of Chinese gym equipment, badminton courts and sporting and games quarters. 

 Longtan Park (龙潭公园) 8 Longtan Lu, Dongcheng district. 

Chaoyang Park

Downtown Beijing’s biggest and arguably most popular park has got it all: plenty of open green spaces, a boating lake, an amusement park and even a fake beach complete with sun-loungers and an outdoor water park. If you’re here to picnic, you’ll find the best spots to the northeast of the park, away from the crowds, where vast expanses of green overlook the water, and also offer fantastic views to the cityscape beyond its walls. For impromptu picnickers, the west gate of the park is only a five-minute walk away from Jenny Lou’s, Annie’s, Comptoirs de France and more.

 Chaoyang Park (朝阳公园) 1 Nongzhan Nan Lu, Chaoyang district.

Olympic Forest Park

Perhaps the most successful part of the Olympic legacy (particularly in the warmer months), the mighty Olympic Forest Park is also one of the city’s biggest, which means you won’t be troubled to find a quiet green corner to set up camp. While the south entrance of this green giant is more of a hectic tourist trap than outdoor reprieve, following the trails through the park you’ll soon find an ideal spot; there’s plenty of higher-octane entertainment too, with an amusement park and pedalos available for hire. 

 Olympic Forest Park (奥林匹克森林公园) 33 Kehui Lu, Beisihuan Zhong Lu, Chaoyang district.

Yuan Dadu Park

Occupying a 9km strip between Chaoyang in the east and Haidian in the west, this is Beijing’s longest linear park. Scenic tree-lined paths either side of the poetically named Xiaoyue He (Little Moon River), and underpasses at most points where roads intersect the park allow the aspirationally athletic to jog an almost traffic-free 18km loop. For those who prefer a slower pace, there’s enough sculptural and botanical eye-candy throughout the park to keep even the most leisurely stroller entertained.

 Yuan Dadu Park (元大都城垣遗址公园) 38 Anwaixiaoguan Jie, Chaoyang district. 

Purple Bamboo Park

Although the bamboo is abundant at this park next to the National Library, it is unfortunately not a psychedelic shade of purple. Don’t let the misnomer put you off though, because it’s a fine destination for all manner of outdoor revelry, from lively taichi-practising groups, gatherings of elderly musicians and boating on its central lake (from 10RMB per person). If crowds aren’t your thing, it’s easy to get away in this vast park, with top spots including grassy hillsides tucked away by the water and plentiful tree-shaded nooks and pavilions. 

 Purple Bamboo Park (紫竹院公园) 35 Zhongguancun Nan Dajie, Haidian district.

Yuanmingyuan

Photo: 颐园新居/Wikimedia Commons

The Old Summer Palace, as Yuanmingyuan is known in English, is a great spot to ponder China’s imperial past, but minus the usual crowd of tourists. This 350-hectare complex once contained 800 palace buildings and was a seat of power during the Qing dynasty; controversially razed to the ground by Anglo-French forces in 1860, all that remains are the beautiful lakes and gardens with a smattering of ruins in the eastern section (called Changchunyuan). To the west is Fuhai Lake, where you can rent out a boat and admire the distant Fragrant Hills. 

 Yuanmingyuan (圆明园) 28 Qinghua Xi Lu, Haidian district.

Yuyuantan Park

Photo: Wpcpey/Wikimedia Commons

Compared to its easterly neighbours, the city’s westside might not get the same level of love from visitors, foreign residents or even us (hands up!), but sometimes – just sometimes – trips to the wild west are well worth it. Haidian’s masterfully crafted Yuyuantan Park, one of the city’s biggest, is one such worthy destination, endowed with a mighty fine and mighty wide central lake and lush greenery. It’s also surrounded by a host of noteworthy monuments, including the spindly Central Radio & TV Tower, the imposing Military Museum and the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

 Yuyuantan Park (玉渊潭公园) 10 Xisanhuan Zhong Lu, Haidian district.

Beihai Park

Photo: Wplsunboy320/Pixabay.com

The picturesque Beihai Park is a true jewel in the city’s crown, being perhaps one of the most famous and most frequented. Over a thousand years old, it served as an imperial pleasure ground for five dynasties, and its 69 hectares are filled with delightful halls, pavilions, gateways and gardens – many of them built during the culturally proficient Emperor Qianlong’s dynasty. The centrepiece is, obviously, the Tibetan White Dagoba temple on the lake’s central Qiong islet, which poses demurely for some fine Beijing snaps year-round – for the best views, take a boat out on the lake in summer, or skate upon its frozen surface come winter.

 Beihai Park (北海公园) 1 Wenjin Jie, Xicheng district.

Jingshan Park

Photo: Daniel Case/Wikimedia Commons

Not a hard position to claim in our miraculously flat city, but Jingshan stands as one of the city’s highest points – the hill was formed during the Ming dynasty with earth dug out to create the Forbidden City’s moat, and served as a viewpoint and rest spot for the imperial elite for centuries, before opening as a public park in 1928. Besides the views from the Wanchun Pavilion at the peak, the surrounding lowlands, as such, make for a pleasant stroll, buzzing with the usual park fanfare, such as kite-flying and old ladies showing off some Messi-esque keepy-up skills.

 Jingshan Park (景山公园) 44 Jingshan Xi Jie, Xicheng district.

Rendinghu Park

A small park by Beijing standards (just 9.2 hectares), Rendinghu stands out because it’s just so un-Chinese; there’s not a pagoda in sight. Instead, when the park was given a makeover back in 1995, its architects decided to pay homage to Rome. This could have gone horribly wrong, but somehow the sunken garden (inspired by Italy’s historic hilltop Tivoli estate), colonnades and classical statues just north of the south gate manage to avoid being tacky. Continue north for glazed murals depicting Europe’s most beautiful gardens; beyond this, the park opens out onto a large lake fringed by the manicured hedges of an English country house.

 Rendinghu Park (人定湖公园) 11 Liupukang Jie, Xicheng district.

For more great things to do in Beijing, hit 'Read more' below. 

You might have missed

More from Time Out Beijing

Stay up to date in Beijing