Longtan Lake Park in Beijing
The Longtan Park is also known as 'Pool of the Dragon' and is a recreational urban park located in Dongcheng District (formerly in Chongwen District) of Beijing, just east of the Temple of Heaven.
English Name: Longtan Park in Beijing
Chinese Name: 北京龙潭公园
Attraction Type: Beijing Attraction, Park, Nature, Temple Fair
Best Time to Visit: Whole year
Recommended Visiting Time: about 1-2 hours
Admission Fee: CNY 2
Address in English: Chongwen District, Beijing
Address in Chinese: 北京市崇文区
Why is the Longtan Park in Beijing so Special?
The Longtan Park is also known as ‘Pool of the Dragon’ and is a recreational urban park located in Dongcheng District (formerly in Chongwen District) of Beijing, just east of the Temple of Heaven. It is one of the largest modern parks inside the 2nd Ring Road of Beijing. There is also a large outdoor bird market in the park. Located at the center of the park is a large lake called which features many moon bridges, rock gardens, dragon boats, tea houses and restaurants.
Where is the Longtan Park in Beijing?
Longtan Lake Park is located in Zuo’an Gate, Chongwen District. Its south and east are moats.
How to Get There?
- The North Gate: Bus No. 34/35/36/41/352/561/957, get off at Guangminglou Station
- The Northwest Gate: Bus No. 6/12/60/116/352/684, get off at Longtan Park Station.
- The East Gate: Bus No.122, get off at the west of South Jinsong Street Station.
- The West Gate: Bus No. 12/ 684, get off at the Longtan Lake Swimming Pool Station.
Highlights of Longtan Park
Longtan Lake
The major landscape in this park is the Longtan Lake, which translates as Dragon Pool. The lake used to be a huge man-made cave on the ground. The cave was created during the Jiajing Emperor’s reign of the Ming Dynasty, when people in Beijing dug earth and mud there to make bricks for the city wall of Beijing Outer City. After that, the cave became the drainage area of the old Beijing, and became a lake of wastewater. In 1952, the Beijing government decided to solve the environmental problem caused by the lake of waste water. They drew away wastewater from the lake, and invited Liang Sicheng, a famous architect and landscape designer, to re-design this area to be a public park. The wastewater was removed and replaced with fresh water to create a new, scenic lake. The great waterfall pours down from the main peak, which looks like a huge bonsai. You can take a boat to view the beautiful natural scenery; it takes about CNY40-80/hour based on the boat size.
Lotus Pond and Islets
The Lotus Pond and Islets are located in the southeast of the park. It is a unique architectural style building in southern China. A 40 meters long bridge connects the two islands. There is also a pool full of fragrant lotus and swaying reed. Some strange stones were scattered by the pond.
Yuan Chonghuan’s Temple
To the northwest of the park is the temple of a national hero in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In order to defend his country, he launched many wars against the enemy. The temple was built in memory of his great contribution to the country.
Longtan Park Temple Fair
The first Longtan Spring Festival fair was held in 1984 and has become a large-scale traditional cultural event during the Spring Festival in Beijing. During the exhibition, there are flower exhibitions, singing and dancing performance, folk art and acrobatic performance, as well as park activities, exhibitions, winter games, garden art and exhibition of China’s intangible cultural heritage. During this period, the park is decorated with lanterns, Chinese knots and traditional couplets. You can also taste many delicious snacks and enjoy the festival and happy atmosphere at the temple fair. The fair is held on the 1st day to the 5th day of the first lunar month.
Useful Travel Tips
- Ticket Price: CNY 2; Free for children under 1.2m (3.9 feet).
- Open Time: 09:00-22:00; ticket sale ends at 21:00
