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Bei Hai was the site of Beijing’s earliest imperial palace, although nothing remains other than a small pavilion on a site known as the Round City, and a large jade wine vessel said to have belonged to Kublai Khan.

Accessed by bridge from the south gate or by boat from the north gate, Bei Hai’s willow-lined island was created from the earth excavated to form the lake.

Topping Jade Island, the 118-ft (36-m) high White Dagoba is a Tibetan-style stupa built to honor the visit of the fifth Dalai Lama in 1651. It has been rebuilt twice since.

Beneath the Dagoba, the temple comprises a series of ascending halls, including the Hall of the Wheel of Law with its central effigy of the Buddha Sakyamuni.

Founded in 1926 by chefs of the imperial household, the restaurantbases its menus on court cuisine. Standards have slipped but the lakeside setting still has great appeal.

A crescent-shaped hall on Jade Island contains nearly 500 stone tablets engraved with the work of famous Chinese calligraphers. If the exhibits are less than enthralling the walkways that lead to the pavilion are enchanting.

In the northwest corner of the park is this beautiful garden, created in the mid-18th century by the Qianlong emperor, with rockeries, pavilions, and ornate bridges over goldfish-filled pools.

Near the Place of Serenity is a trio of small temple buildings – the Pavilion of 10,000 Buddhas, the Glazed Pavilion, which is covered with green and yellow ceramic Buddhas, and the Xiao Xitian (Small Western Sky) Temple filled with fearsome-looking idols.

Bei Hai’s most striking sight is an 89-ft (27-m) long, free-standing wall made of colorful glazed ceramic tiles and depicting nine intertwined dragons. The Chinese dragon is a beneficent beast offering protection and good luck. The wall was designed to obstruct the passage of evil spirits, who are only able to travel in straight lines.

Bei Hai means North Lake; the Middle (Zhong) and South (Nan) Lakes are part of an area occupied by China’s political leaders and are off- limits to all except government officials. Zhong Nan Hai is regarded as the new Forbidden City.