Beihai Park (北海公园)

Park · Beijing. A royal lake garden crowned by a white dagoba on Qionghua Island.

Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/beihai-park · Data checked 2026-10-06 · Rendered for 2026-10-08 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.

Notices in effect

2026-07-24 to 2027-12-31: Xi Tian (小西天) building complex has been closed to the public since 24 July 2026 for restoration; the operator expects completion in December 2027.
2026-07-27 to 2026-12-31: Kuaixue Tang (快雪堂) courtyard and the Gukeyuan courtyard (古柯庭) inside Huafang Zhai (画舫斋) are closed; the rest of Huafang Zhai is open and reopening is expected in December 2026.

Why go

Beihai Park (北海公园) is a historic imperial garden around a central lake in Beijing’s old city. Its most recognisable view is the white dagoba above Qionghua Island. The park also offers lakeside paths and smaller historic spaces, making it a different visit from the hill panorama at nearby Jingshan.

What to do

Walk around the lake. Follow the shoreline to see the White Dagoba (白塔) from across the water and compare the changing angles around Qionghua Island.
Explore the island. Cross to Qionghua Island (琼华岛) to approach the white pagoda and its hill paths. Choose your entrance and allow time to return to the desired exit.
Look for seasonal planting. The municipal profile points to lotus in summer and historic garden scenery across the year. The lakeside walk is useful even without visiting every inner courtyard.

Don't miss: Yong'an Bridge (永安桥) on the south side frames the White Dagoba on Qionghua Island.

Best time: Morning or late afternoon lakeside
Skip if: Skip if you only need the Forbidden City overhead view; that is Jingshan.

Practical details

Hours: 06:00–21:00 peak · 06:30–20:00 winter

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 06:00–21:00, last entry 20:30
Apr–Oct (04-01 to 10-31), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 06:00–21:00, last entry 20:30
Nov–Mar (11-01 to 03-31), Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 06:30–20:00, last entry 19:30
Inner courtyards (Tuancheng, Yong'an Temple, Yuegu Tower, Huafang Zhai, Jingxin Zhai, Xitian Fanjing, Kuaixue Tang and others) open 08:00–18:00 with 17:30 last entry in Apr–Oct, and 08:30–17:00 with 16:30 last entry in Nov–Mar; the park's own page lists them separately from the 06:00–21:00 park gate.
Beijing Tourism Network (Jun 2025) states that inner-garden sites other than Tuancheng are closed on Mondays except legal holidays.

Admission: Ticketed · park ¥10/¥5; combined ¥20/¥15

Park peak: ¥10 (Apr–Oct)
Park winter: ¥5 (Nov–Mar)
Combined peak: ¥20 (Apr–Oct)
Combined winter: ¥15 (Nov–Mar)
Pedal boat, 4-seat: ¥120 — Per boat per hour; 6-seat ¥180. Operating 09:00–17:00.
Electric boat, 4-seat: ¥180 — Per boat per hour; 6-seat ¥220; themed 4-seat electric boat ¥200.
Large ferry, north shore Wufang Pavilion to Yilan Tang on Qionghua Island: ¥20 — Per person.
Small ferry, west shore to Linguang Hall on Qionghua Island: ¥5 — Per person.
Round-lake dragon boat: ¥50 — Per person; boards and lands at Wufang Pavilion.
Concession: Taiwan compatriots on a first-issued Taiwan Compatriot Permit (issue count 01), within one year of first use ¥0 (Taiwan Compatriot Permit (台胞证) showing issue count 01)
Free: Children aged 6 (The park administration's 12345 answer says 6-year-olds enter free; no document is specified)
The municipal profile does not itemize the combined-pass sub-sites.
The operator's ticket page lists park admission and combined ticket only (peak ¥10/¥20, winter ¥5/¥15) and does not itemize the combined-ticket sites. Boat prices are from the operator boat page; the operator does not state a boat deposit.

Booking: No booking needed · buy at any of five gates

Visiting Beijing Parks (畅游公园) — https://www.bjgyol.com.cn · passport: yes
Visiting Beijing Parks (畅游公园) — WeChat → search 畅游公园 → 预约购票 → 市属公园 · passport: yes
Gate ticket windows (five gate areas) (北海公园各门区售票窗口) · passport: yes
Passport accepted: yes — The municipal guide supports passports online; the park administration's 2025 answer says foreign visitors can buy at a gate service window with a valid identity document and no phone number.
The park administration's 2025 answers say tickets do not need a reservation and each of the five gate areas sells on-site paper tickets; the online purchase needs a mainland mobile number, the window does not. A Feb 2023 Bendibao guide said gates no longer sold tickets; that was a pandemic-era rule replaced by these answers.

Last admission: 20:30 peak / 19:30 winter
Time to allow: 1.5–3 hr
Getting there: Line 6 Beihai North · five gate areas, buses 5, 13, 101

Metro Line 6 to Beihai North (北海北), about 5 min walk
Show a taxi driver: 北京市西城区文津街1号北海公园
Beijing Tourism Network (Feb 2026) gives Exit D as a 5-minute walk and Exit B as a 15-minute walk to the North Gate; a March 2025 blog walker found Exit B closer but needing a road crossing; 黄鸡米 (Mar 2025) says D is nearer the North-West gate and 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) names B for the North Gate. The sources differ, so no exit is recorded.

Foreign visitors: Passport purchase and English ticket site

Not found yet

foreignVisitors.english.audioGuide: No operator or visitor source confirms an English audio guide at Beihai Park. (searched: Operator site, English blogs, Tripadvisor individual reviews)
foreignVisitors.english.tours: No source confirms staffed English tours. (searched: Operator site, English blogs, Tripadvisor individual reviews)
transport.metro[0].exit: Exit D (Beijing Tourism Network, 黄鸡米) and Exit B (旅行の箭头, and as the longer walk in Beijing Tourism Network) are both written for Beihai North, and the posts name different gates, so no single exit is recorded. (searched: Operator bus page, Beijing Tourism Network 2025 and 2026, Substack walk-through)
foreignVisitors.english.signage: The ticket site is bilingual but no source says whether the park has English signs. (searched: Operator site, English blogs, Beijing government English guide)

Traveler tips

Buy the right Beihai product. Beihai Park (北海公园) admission is ¥10 in April–October and ¥5 in November–March. The combined ticket (联票) is ¥20 in peak season and ¥15 in winter. A simple lake walk needs only park admission; buy the combined ticket if you plan to pay for inner sites such as Qionghua Island. Caveat: The operator does not itemize which sites the combined ticket covers; see the combo-ticket tip. source
Online needs a mainland phone; the gate window does not. The official 畅游公园 website includes Beihai Park and an English language switch: choose the visit date, enter passport information, pay and save the QR e-ticket, then bring the original passport to the gate. A first purchase asks for a mainland Chinese mobile number to send the verification code, so without one buy at a gate ticket window instead; the window needs no reservation or phone number. Caveat: The window and phone details come from the park administration's 12345 answers of June 2025; Beihai's own pages do not repeat them. source
See the pagoda across the lake. Start with a lakeside view of the White Dagoba (白塔) on Qionghua Island (琼华岛). Then decide whether to cross onto the island, since its paths and return route take extra time. source
Plan the correct exit. Beihai is a lake garden, not a straight-through courtyard. Mark your exit gate before walking around the water, especially if you are continuing toward Jingshan or another stop. source
Check the seasonal gate clock. The park gate is open 06:00–21:00 with last entry 20:30 in April–October, and 06:30–20:00 with last entry 19:30 in November–March. The inner courtyards keep shorter hours, so do not count on them after 17:30 in peak season. Caveat: Smaller courtyards and boat piers have their own closing times; see the inner-courtyard and boat tips. source
Allow 90 minutes to half a day. Budget at least 90 minutes for a selective visit: the White Dagoba (白塔) hill, one lakeside stretch and one courtyard. A March 2025 walker took 3–4 hours for a leisurely loop that included the north-shore courtyards and a meal. Caveat: Jìng Lín Yü (Mar 2025) arrived at 11:30 and left at 15:30 on a rainy day, and called it a 3–4 hour leisurely tour. source
Pair it with Jingshan. Jingshan Park lies to the east and has the Forbidden City panorama; Beihai offers the lake and white pagoda instead. The two parks sell separate admission tickets. source
Check the current park notices. The operator site and Beijing parks system publish changes for weather, works or temporary activities. Look at a dated notice before relying on a boat or a named inner courtyard. source
Inner courtyards close earlier and not on Mondays. Yong'an Temple (永安寺), Yuegu Tower (阅古楼), Huafang Zhai (画舫斋), Jingxin Zhai (静心斋) and the other courtyards are separate from the park gate. They are open 08:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30) from April to October and 08:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30) in winter. They are normally closed on Mondays except Tuancheng (团城) and legal holidays, so check the weekday before planning a courtyard-focused visit. Caveat: The Monday rule comes from Beijing Tourism Network (Jun 2025); the operator's 4 July 2026 notice opened the courtyards on Mondays until 31 August 2026, which applies only to summer 2026. source
Know what the combined ticket adds. The combined ticket (联票) is ¥20 in April–October and ¥15 in November–March. The park administration's 2025 answer says the peak-season ¥20 ticket includes the Qiongdao (琼岛) and Tuancheng (团城) scenic areas, and Beijing Tourism Network says the winter ¥15 ticket includes them too. A March 2025 walker found that Yong'an Temple, Yilan Hall (漪澜堂) and Tuancheng each needed an extra ticket on top of a ¥100 annual park pass. Caveat: The operator does not itemize the combined ticket, and the annual-pass holder's extra tickets may differ from the combined ticket's coverage; confirm at the ticket window or on 畅游公园. 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) says the combined ticket admits you twice on the same day. (2 travelers) source
Rent a boat or ride a ferry. Boats run 09:00–17:00 (small boats stop selling at 16:00, the last large ferry leaves at 16:40). A 4-seat pedal boat is ¥120 per hour and a 4-seat electric boat ¥180. Cheaper rides are the ¥20 large ferry from Wufang Pavilion (五方亭) on the north shore to Yilan Tang (漪澜堂) on Qionghua Island, and the ¥5 small ferry from the west pier to Linguang Hall (琳光殿). Caveat: Prices were read from the operator page last updated 17 Oct 2025; Beijing Tourism Network (Jun 2025) lists the same pedal-boat price and says deposits are required. 爱生活的哈佳 (May 2026) and Pianie- (Sep 2025) both say the ¥5 ferry from the west-shore pier reaches Qionghua Island in a few minutes and is better value than the ¥20 ferry; Pianie- adds that self-steered four- and six-person boats are charged by the hour with a deposit. (2 travelers) source
Boats stop for the winter. Boats do not run all year. In 2025 the operator suspended boating from Monday 10 November and said service would resume in spring. If your trip falls in November or later, plan to see the lake on foot. Caveat: One year's notice; the 2026 suspension date has not been announced. source
Skip Xi Tian until the restoration ends. Xi Tian (小西天), the building complex in the northwest of the park, has been fully closed for restoration since 24 July 2026. The operator expects work to finish in December 2027. Do not build a route around it; the White Dagoba, Nine-Dragon Wall and lake paths are unaffected. source
Two courtyards are closed until about December. Kuaixue Tang (快雪堂) is closed entirely, and the Gukeyuan courtyard (古柯庭) inside Huafang Zhai (画舫斋) is closed. The rest of Huafang Zhai remains open. The operator expects both to reopen in December 2026. source
Heavy rain can close the whole park. Beihai is classed as a mountain-and-water scenic area, and the operator closes the whole park under a severe rainstorm warning for Xicheng District. If you already bought a ticket and did not enter, ask for a refund through the channel you bought it from. Caveat: The operator's notice of 9 July 2026 closed the park on 10–11 July under an orange warning and reopened it on 12 July; the same rule is likely to apply to other severe warnings. source
Choose your gate by transport. The North Gate (北门) is the usual Line 6 arrival at Beihai North (北海北) station, with buses 13, 42, 107, 111, 118, 612 and 701. The South Gate and Southwest Gate are served by buses 5, 101, 103, 109, 124, 128 and Zhuan 1/2 to the Beihai (北海) stop. The East Gate is served by bus 5 to Xibanqiao (西板桥). Caveat: Beijing Tourism Network gives Exit D at about 5 minutes and Exit B at about 15 minutes to the North Gate; the March 2025 blog walker found Exit B closer but needing a road crossing. 黄鸡米 (Mar 2025) says Line 6 Beihai North Exit D is nearer the North-West gate and the other routes suit the South Gate; 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) names Exit B for the North Gate; 追风77 (Sep 2026) enters by the North Gate. (3 travelers) source
See the lotus in summer. Lotus bloom on the lake in summer with the White Dagoba (白塔) behind them. A June 2026 report put the peak around 30 June and said a rowing boat lets you get close to the flowers. Caveat: The 30 June peak is the 2026 report and shifts with the weather each year. source
Check whether the park annual pass fits your trip. A ¥100 annual pass (2025 edition) covers 15 venues, 13 of them parks that Roamlogue ranks, including Beihai; it removes the need to buy a ¥10 ticket each visit. Inner paid attractions are not included in the pass. If you are staying a week with several park visits, add up the entries first. Caveat: Jìng Lín Yü (Aug 2025) says the 2025 pass covers 15 venues and ranks 13 parks; a March 2025 post by the same author says the pass allows two entries to the same park, so the entry limit is unsettled. The posts do not say whether foreign passport holders can buy it, and the pass terms are for 2025. source
Photo spots on the north and south shores. From Yong'an Bridge (永安桥) on the south side you can frame the White Dagoba on Qionghua Island. The Five-Dragon Pavilions (五龙亭) bridges, the corridor at Jingxin Zhai (静心斋) and Longze Pavilion (龙泽亭), which has the CBD skyline behind it, are other frames. On fine days you may see visitors posing in Qing-style costume at the Five-Dragon Pavilions. Caveat: One March 2025 rainy-day walk; light and crowds differ in other seasons. Some of these frames are on the north-west side near Xi Tian, which has been closed since 24 July 2026, so check which paths are open. source
A Monday visit needed no pre-booking. Aston100 asked about a Monday visit in April 2026 and reports that no pre-booking was needed and they paid at the south gate. Go into the Round City (团城) first, because coming out and back into the main park afterwards is awkward. Caveat: A single commenter's experience, which matches the park administration's 2025 answers that no reservation is needed. Monday closure rules for the inner courtyards still apply. Comment dates on Reddit are the thread's post date. source
Walk north to south if the White Dagoba stairs are a worry. 爱生活的哈佳 (May 2026) recommends entering by the North Gate and leaving by the South Gate when legs or stairs are a concern, because entering from the south goes straight up the long steep stairs to the White Dagoba while the north-to-south route is downhill. Her route runs from the small North-West gate beside Jingxin Zhai west through the northern sites, takes the ¥5 ferry from the west-shore pier to Qionghua Island in two or three minutes, and ends at the South Gate; 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) suggests the reverse, South in and North out, for a Shichahai evening afterwards. Caveat: Both are single-visit preferences. 爱生活的哈佳 says not to take the ¥20 ferry, and Pianie- (Sep 2025) calls both the ¥5 and ¥20 ferries quick rides rather than sightseeing boats. (3 travelers) source
The combined ticket can be used twice in a day. 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) says the combined ticket admits you twice on the same day, ¥20 in the peak season and ¥15 in winter. 爱生活的哈佳 (May 2026) says Tuancheng stands outside the South Gate and the combined ticket lets you in, while a separate ¥1 ticket shows its three treasures; photography is not allowed toward the south there. Pianie- (Sep 2025) found the ¥10 ticket enough and says a close look at the White Dagoba needs the combined ticket, and Tungh (Jul 2026) simply advises buying the ¥20 combined ticket to avoid the dilemma at the gate. Caveat: The authors do not agree on what the basic ticket allows on Qionghua Island, and clop (Aug 2026) argues the basic ticket is enough because the sites the combined ticket adds close early; the park administration's 2025 answer says the peak-season combined ticket includes the Qiongdao and Tuancheng areas. (4 travelers) source
Boats stop for wind of Force 4 or more. 何照人 (Apr 2025) and Jennnnn (Mar 2025) both warn that boating is suspended when the wind is Force 4 or stronger, even if it feels calm, and tell you to check the park's official account for stoppage notices; Jennnnn adds that boat ticket sales end at 16:00, that weekdays have no queue and weekends build one after 14:30, and that the best light on the water comes after 16:00. A commenter (anonymous, Sep 2025) arrived to find every boat stopped by wind. Caveat: Prices quoted by the two authors (pedal ¥120, electric ¥180–200, lotus boats ¥200–320 an hour) differ slightly from the operator's list and are 2025 posts. (2 travelers) source
The North-West gate and Exit D, or the North Gate and Exit B. 黄鸡米 (Mar 2025) says Line 6 Beihai North Exit D is closer to the North-West gate, and 旅行の箭头 (May 2026) names Exit B for the North Gate; 爱生活的哈佳 (May 2026) says the small North-West gate leads straight to Jingxin Zhai and, from the boat hire, 何照人 (Apr 2025) says to turn right inside that gate for the boats. Caveat: Exit letters are from single posts of different dates; Beijing Tourism Network gives Exit D at about 5 minutes and Exit B at 15 minutes to the North Gate. (4 travelers) source
Food inside the park is pricey. 爱生活的哈佳 (May 2026) says the restaurant beside Jingxin Zhai just inside the North Gate serves noodles, dumplings and rice dishes at ¥38–50, which she calls expensive. Caveat: One author's report; prices may vary. source

Sources

Beijing Municipal Landscaping Bureau (published 2023-12-25)
Beijing Municipal Government
Beihai Park Administration
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2025-09-02)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2025-10-17)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2025-09-02)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2025-11-19)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2026-07-04)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2026-07-09)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2026-07-24)
Beihai Park Administration (北京市北海公园管理处) (published 2026-07-24)
Beijing Tourism Network (北京旅游网) (published 2025-06-08)
Beijing Tourism Network (Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau Publicity Center) (published 2026-02-06)
Capital Window (首都之窗) via Guangming Net (published 2026-06-25)
Roamlogue (Substack) (published 2025-03-17)
Roamlogue (Substack) (published 2025-08-09)
Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks (via 12345 hotline) (published 2025-06-19)
Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks (via 12345 hotline) (published 2025-06-20)
Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks (via 12345 hotline) (published 2025-06-20)
Aston100 (published 2026-03-13)
爱生活的哈佳 (published 2026-05-24)
旅行の箭头 (published 2026-05-15)
Pianie- (published 2025-09-26)
Tungh (published 2026-07-04)
何照人 (published 2025-04-30)
Jennnnn (published 2025-03-26)
黄鸡米 (published 2025-03-18)
王绿子- (published 2025-12-11)
追风77 (published 2026-09-20)

More places

Pair with: Jingshan Park
More in Lakes & hutongs: Lama Temple (Yonghegong), Shichahai and Houhai