Western Hills

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Western Hills (Chinese: 北京西山; pinyin: Běijīng Xīshān) is a hilly region in the western part of Beijing, China, part of the Taihang mountain range. The Western Hills comprise the western part of the Haidian District, as well as parts of the Shijingshan and Mentougou districts.

An area renowned for its scenery (it is sometimes also known as the Western Hills Scenic Area), the Western Hills have long been a retreat for Chinese scholars, religious men, and members of the government and civil service. The Western Hills are divided into three parks, the closest to Beijing's city center of which is the Beijing Botanical Garden (北京植物园), which is located just to the west of the Summer Palace (which is itself located in the Haidian District, a northwestern suburb of Beijing).

The most popular area in the Western Hills is the Fragrant Hills Park (Xiangshan Gongyuan), located 2 km further west, in the eastern part of the Western Hills. Nearby is the Temple of Azure Clouds (Biyun Si).

South of the Fragrant Hills Park is Badachu (八大处; literally "eight great sites"), an area located in the Shijingshan District, which features eight Buddhist temples and monasteries.

Other attractions include the Jiufeng (Vulture Peak) Forest Park (鹫峰森林公园), the Dajue Temple (大觉寺; literally "Temple of Enlightenment"), and Wofo Temple (卧佛寺), which features a reclining Buddha statue.

Tourists also come to the Western Hills in the winter to see the snow-covered hills (西山晴雪), and in the autumn to see the red leaves (香山红叶).

The Western Hills also contain the Chinese military's Western Hills Command Center (西山地下指挥中心), a secret, bunker-like underground facility that was built with the assistance of the USSR in the 1950s, and now serves a purpose similar to the United States Military's Pentagon.[1] Mao Zedong lived in the Western Hills briefly, and the Politburo of the Communist Party of China retreated here briefly in 1989.[2]

The Beijing Subway extends all the way to the Western Hills, although the last two stops are only used by the military, and are not open to the public.