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From far-flung places in our Take the Subway series, we move closer to the city center for a look at a few spots that we think, while they may not be on any Beijing top sights lists, are definitely worth going out of your way to visit.
From the artsy within the hutongs, it’s time to turn our attention to a time when Beijing went by a different name, with a trip to the…
Yuan Dadu City Wall Ruins Park (元大都城垣遗址公园 Yuándàdū Chéngyuán Yízhǐ Gōngyuán)
The remains of the city wall are a bit hard to find, but worth a little hike
This park follows the remnants of a portion of not Beijing’s city wall, but the city wall of Khanbaliq, or 元大都 Yuándàdū in Chinese, the seat of the Mongol Yuan dynasty from 1267 until their ousting by the Ming in the 1360s. Although there’s not much left of the wall – its mostly just dirt if you discount some reconstructed sections – it’s an interesting place to get a sense of a different capital.
Why Visit?
Not only is the present-day park – which spans from Mingguang bridge in the south to Xitucheng in the north – a nice place for a run, there’s also more to delve into here history wise. There’s a sculpture mural of Yuan dynasty founder Emperor Shizu during the founding of Dadu (lead image), as well as a mural of the emperor flanked by his concubines and well-known officials, including the Italian traveler Marco Polo.
Reconstructed section of the city wall
Other sites of interested include the Two Capitals sculpture, which depicts Dadu and the northern Yuan capital of Shangdu; and the Guests and Friends sculptures, depicting various commodities from within and without the Yuan dynasty during its peak.
The Details
The park is open 24 hours a day and entry is free.
Yuan Dadu City Wall Ruins Park 元大都城垣遗址公园
38 An'wai Xiaoguanjie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区安外小关街38号
Contact: 010 8464 7381; 010 8464 8252
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Images: Vincent R. Vinci
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