Jingshan Park

Jingshan Park sits immediately north of the Forbidden City, across the palace moat from the Gate of Divine Prowess. Its hill is artificial, built during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty from earth dug out for the palace moats and nearby canals. It rises 45.7 metres, and the park covers 23 hectares. For centuries this was an imperial garden; today it is a public park and the classic place to look down on the Forbidden City.

The hill has five peaks, each topped by a pavilion once used by officials for gatherings. From the top you look straight down on the roofs of the palace, which line up south along the city's central axis, so the climb is the easiest way to understand how the Forbidden City is laid out.

Jingshan also has a darker place in history. In 1644, as the rebel forces of Li Zicheng took Beijing, the last Ming emperor, Chongzhen, hanged himself from a tree on the hill, bringing the Ming dynasty's rule in Beijing to an end.

The park has four gates, one on each side, though the north gate is closed. The south gate faces the Forbidden City across Jingshan Front Street, so it is easy to walk straight over after leaving the palace by its north exit. The west gate is on Jingshan West Street, and the east gate is served by trolleybus routes 111 and 124. The hill was once known as Ten-Thousand Year Hill. Tickets for Jingshan, like other major city parks, can be bought through the official Visiting Beijing Parks platform on WeChat, which has an English option.

Allow about an hour, including the climb. Because the Forbidden City closes at 4.30pm in winter, Jingshan makes a natural last stop after a palace visit. In autumn, the ginkgo trees in front of Huguo Zhongyi Temple inside the park turn gold from late October to mid-November, according to Beijing's park authority. The park suits anyone who has just visited the Forbidden City and wants to understand its layout, as well as photographers. Beihai Park is a short walk to the west, and the Shichahai lakes lie to the north-west.