介绍:
Built on the basis of Yuan Dynasty City Wall, the Yuandadu Relics Park is divided into Haidian Section and Chaoyang Section. It is the largest public park in Beijing with a total length of 9 kilometers.
Beijing is known as one of the oldest capital cities in the world. But, what most people don't know is that Beijing became the capital way back in the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. In 1279, Kublai Khan, the grandson and the great conqueror Genghis Khan, led his army into the city and ruled all of China from Beijing for the first time. From then onward, with the exception of two interludes from 1368-1420 and 1928-1949, Beijing would remain as China's capital.
The Yuandadu Relics Park is just a few feet from the Anzhenmen subway station. Marking the entrance are several pillars that looks like totem poles with images of bows and arrows, eagles and fortresses carved onto them. The name of the park is written on several of these pillars in both Chinese and Mongolian.
The Park is located in a pristine area with rolling hills on one side and a river running through it on the other. Several willow trees line the banks of the river. This is a great recreational spot for the people living in this neighborhood. I can see people running, skipping ropes, or even playing musical instruments like Er-hu.
There are some relics on display here as well. Here's a wheel made of steel embedded in the sand next to what looks like a horse saddle and a helmet. A plaque here explains that the fragmentary wheels, saddles and stirrups of this sculpture should remind us that even powerful empires wane and disappear with the winds of time leaving only memories and fragments.
The Yuan Dynasty did eventually come to an end less than a century after its establishment but many important developments in the arts were made during that time. These developments included in the areas of painting, mathematics, calligraphy, poetry, and theatre.
The Mongols also made progress in other areas such as education, culture and the economy. Kublai Khan himself built schools for Confucian scholars, issued paper money, revived Chinese rituals and endorsed policies that stimulated agricultural and commercial growth. In this park, there are several giant ancient coins which represent the prosperous economy at that time.
You can also see the remnants of the city wall from the Yuan Dynasty here. It looks similar to the Great Wall but not as tall and definitely not as grand. But it seems to be made of the same material. It's hard to imagine that it has been here for centuries. There are also statues of 19 historical figures in here including Kublai Khan himself, his Imperial Concubine and Italian Marco Polo. These represent the prosperity of Yuan Dynasty.
Another scenic spot in the park are the begonia plants, which line the walkways here. Since it is springtime in the capital city, we can see begonia flowers in full bloom. There are red, pink and white flowers just blossoming right before our eyes. And coming to the park just to see the begonias seems like an annual activity for some tourists.
"The flowers bloomed early this year. So we came over as soon as we could. The weather's nice. The flowers are beautiful and I feel happy here."
"I love it. I was hoping that it would be sunny today and what a beautiful day it is. It's perfect for taking photographs of these flowers."
Hai Shan is the deputy director of Yuandadu Relics Park. She says there are many domestic and imported species of begonias here.
"23 are from North America. They're new species of begonias. The flowers there bloom a little later than they do here, by 3 to 5 days. You can probably see them in full bloom by Tomb-Sweeping Day."
So come to the Yuandadu Relics Park on the upcoming holiday weekend and don't miss the optimal time to view these beautiful flowers. You can also learn about the history of Beijing.
For Studio Plus, I'm Doris Wang.
