Jingshan Park - Reconstruction!

Thursday was clear and warm, so I took the afternoon off to go to Jingshan Park. This is just behind the Forbidden City, and contains a hill 50 meters high made from the earth excavated from the Forbidden City moat. From the viewing pavilions on the top of the hill there are meant to be spectacular views of the Forbidden City. But in the rather single-minded way Beijing is preparing for the Olympics in 2008, every one of the pavilions is being renovated at the same time, and since the hillside is covered with trees, there are no good good observation points left.


Renovation


Detail Work on a Pavilion


Roof Work
The view North to the Drum Tower in the distance is a little better.


View North towards the Drum Tower
The park has some other attractions. This is the "the scholar tree where the last Ming emperor Chongzhen (1628-1644), wracked with despair after rebels broke into the Forbidden City, took his own life" (from chinatravel.com)


Location of Ming Emperor's Suicide


Notice Boards and Poppies