Shichahai
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shichahai (Chinese: 什刹海; pinyin: Shíchàhǎi) is a scenic area consisting of three lakes in the north of Beijing in China. They are located to the north-west of the Forbidden City and north-west of the Beihai Lake. Shishahai consists of the following three lakes: the Front Sea (前海), the West Sea (西海) and the Back Sea (后海). In former times it was called Riverbank (Chinese: 河沿; pinyin: héyán).
[edit] Description
Shichahai consists of 147 hectares and dates back to the Jin Dynasty. From the time of the Yuan Dynasty it was the northernmost part of the Grand Canal linking Hangzhou in the south to Beijing in the North of China. Because of this the Shichahai area used to be the most important commercial district with all kinds of activities going on. It harbors several temples and mansions.
Around the lake there are ten famous Taoist and Buddhist temples. In the vicinity there are also other temples. Around the lake are also several formal royal mansions and gardens. The most well known is the Prince Gong Mansion (恭亲王府) and the Prince Chun Mansion (醇亲王府).
The borders of the lakes are surrounded by large trees.
Shichahai is a scenic spot in Beijing, near the north-gate of the Beihai-park.
In the summer tourists can rent boats to peddle on the lakes. In the winter a lot of people come to ice-skate.
In 1992 the municipal government of Beijing declared the district an "Historical and Cultural Scenic District".
[edit] Nearby famous places
- Prince Gong Mansion
- Prince Chun's Mansion
- Former residence of Soong Ching-ling (Ms. Sun Yat-sen)
- Former residence of Chinese writer Guo Moruo
- Typical Chinese Hutong streets, with typical siheyuan courtyard houses.
- Drum Tower and Bell Tower
