Beijing Zoo – A Family Favorite

As a lover of both animals and boats, I've often imagined myself traveling 3,000 or so years back in history to Noah's Ark, where I could spend my days feeding and watching all sorts of animals aboard that enormous floating zoo.  Now, I live in Beijing which is no boater's paradise, but it has an awesome zoo where, if I don't mind paying a little extra, I can even feed some of the animals.

After my family returned home from this week's zoo visit, I decided to surf around and see what people on the net were saying about the Beijing zoo. There were positive comments about some animals and the park-like environment, but I was surprised to see so much criticism.  Let me reiterate, I'm an avid lover of animals and I loathe any kind of abuse.  I cringe when I see live chickens in the market stuffed into tiny cages. But what I see in the Beijing Zoo is anything but abusive.
Frankly, the animals in the zoo are better fed than many people in the world. My kids were amazed to see plates of fresh cut fruit and vegetables being carried to the monkeys and birds. Pelicans wade through more fresh fish than they could ever eat in a day.  The extra fee to enter the “kids' zoo” area includes a handful of fresh greens to feed the geese and peacocks (pictured at left).  Ponies weren't even interested in the wad of lettuce in my daughter's hand because their feeder was already filled with hay. I don't know which gives me the most delight; seeing the smile on my kids' faces when they feed their little friends, or watching the animals enjoy the feast.
Some of the more favorable online comments applauded the zoo for its environment as a beautiful park. I agree. We used to live within walking distance of the zoo. In those days we always bought annual passes. Taking our kids there just like taking them to any park in town. Although kids never tire of watching animals, we made some of our most precious memories just relaxing and playing in the remote wooded areas of the zoo.  With our pass, the zoo was no longer a novelty, but more of a back yard to enjoy as often as we liked. We no longer live in the neighborhood of the zoo, so we don't have the annual pass, but the entrance fee is about the same as some public parks, so even if we weren't animal lovers it would be worth the visit.
The zoo also makes a great photo studio. There are lots of great backgrounds for family, couple or individual photos, like the picture on the right of my kids in front of a waterfall.

Top of Jingshan Park The Five Worship Pavilion View

Beijing is not an unfamiliar city among travelers around the world. There rich of ancient buildings, unique culture, stunning parks and become a historical city till it had listed in to one of the World Heritage. Filled with so many historical and cultural sites, there is one beautiful park which has become the imperial garden called Jingshan Park. 

Jingshan Park is located in the north Beihai Park. Covering the total area of 58 hectare with trees scenery, plants, and hills, it makes the park so calm, cool and quiet. The park was built in 1180, in the Jin Dynasty. The unique point, this royal garden built on the top of the hill 48 meters high, not that high right, but when view closely and detail, the hill seems very high. Very strange view, right? This is because of the land of Beijing itself is flat, that makes the hill which only 46 meters look so high.

Located just behind the Forbidden City, from the top of the hill inside Jingshan Park, visitors can clearly see the panoramic view of Forbidden City. Inside the park also planted with fruits, such as, melons, tomatoes, orange, and many others.

In this place, there also built pavilion as the worship place for the emperor of Ming Dynasty. As located near the entrance gate, so that visitors who come to the park will directly attract by the ancient building with traditional Chinese style. The pavilion built with strong pine wood, the floor was made of white marble and gold plated roof. The building built as high degree of the imperial symbol and to honor their ancestors.Around the location there also planted with pine tree, give the cool and relax atmosphere in the worship place.

In each top of the hill was also built the same pavilions, because of there has 5 top hills, so that the park surround by 5 same pavilions. The scenery looks very beautiful and attractive in the distance, high hills filled with green trees covered half of pavilion building. This scene instantly attracts tourists to visit Jingshan Park.

At past, Jingshan Park was the place for the emperor of Ming Dynasty and his empress to relax and rest. And now here has become a popular place for leisure. Because thousands Peony flowers blossom every year inside Jingshan Park, so every year in May, there will hold flower festival. Come in the early May for Beijing Tours, you will in time for the exotic hundred blossom peony flowers view.