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Planning a Beijing adventure? Discover Jingshan Park, an ancient imperial garden with stunning Forbidden City vistas. Find updated 2026 info on entrance, hours, and directions for your must-see cultural journey.
Must-Visit Spots for Your Beijing Trip,
Jingshan Park, Beijing
Admission, How to Get There, and Review — Your Complete Guide!
Text/Photos ©HiBooboo
With the visa-free policy now in effect, I recently took a trip to
Beijing again after several years!
While Beijing boasts numerous famous attractions,
Jingshan Park, offering a panoramic view of the Forbidden City,
is definitely one of the must-visit spots.
Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Jingshan Park, one of the best places to visit during your Beijing adventure!
Jingshan Park in Beijing is nestled just north of the Forbidden City (Gugong).
Given its prime location, I highly recommend visiting it right after your Forbidden City tour as the next stop!
Jingshan Park is built on a hill created from the earth excavated during the construction of the Forbidden City. For three dynasties—Yuan, Ming, and Qing—it served as the imperial garden, making it a historical gem you won't want to miss.
Jingshan Park 景山公园 [4A Scenic Area] Operating Hours: April-October 06:00-21:00 November-March 06:00-20:00 Location: 44 Jingshan West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing (Copy from comments) Admission: 2 CNY per person (~$0) |
Jingshan Park's closing times vary between winter and summer seasons,
❗️with the last entry at 8 PM and 9 PM respectively.
Please keep these times in mind when planning your visit!
We planned our route to head straight to Jingshan Park
▶️after finishing our Forbidden City tour.
It’s located directly across from the Forbidden City’s North Gate,
so you just need to cross one road to enter.
By the way, if you’re curious about the Forbidden City tour, which is the perfect prelude to Jingshan Park,
check out our review below!
🔻🔻🔻
We visited on a weekend, and since it was right around the Forbidden City's closing time,
there were so many tourists and locals!
The line on the left was for those who had purchased tickets in advance via QR code,
while the one on the right was for on-site ticket purchases.
However, even though it said tickets could be bought via QR, the sheer number of people
overwhelmed the QR site, rendering it unresponsive.
Although the on-site queue looked long,
we managed to get our tickets in about 15 minutes!
📍Jingshan Park Admission: 2 CNY per adult
At only 2 CNY, the admission fee is incredibly affordable (~$0) and absolutely worth it!
So, if you've visited the Forbidden City, definitely make sure to explore Jingshan Park as well.
The main reason to visit Jingshan Park is for the breathtaking panoramic views of the Forbidden City from its observation deck.
To capture these stunning vistas, you’ll need to ascend the stairs all the way to the top of Jingshan Park.
If walking up stairs is challenging for you, please keep this in mind when planning your visit, as the climb can be a bit strenuous.
From the entrance of Jingshan Park, walk to your right
and you'll find a signpost leading up to the observatory.
There's also a restroom at the corner, so feel free to use it beforehand!
Follow the sign up the stairs, and you'll see
a lower observation deck and a pavilion halfway up.
Keep climbing similar stairs, and you'll pass pavilion-like structures
about three times before reaching the very top.
I visited in early summer, and while climbing the stairs made me
quite sweaty, it was definitely manageable!
Now that it's past mid-September,
you should be able to walk up without much difficulty.
Once you reach the very top, where people are gathered,
that's the observation deck offering a panoramic view of the Forbidden City.
Since there are so many people, you'll need to
find a gap to squeeze in if you want a proper look.
As you can see, it's crowded and a bit chaotic.
You'll need to gently push your way through to get to
the front and truly soak in the view.
This is the panoramic view of the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park.
Even when I explored the Forbidden City itself,
I felt its immense scale, but looking down from above,
it felt even more colossal!
Usually, when you climb to an observatory, you can see the city skyline
along with the main attraction, but at Jingshan Park, only
the Forbidden City filled my entire view.
It really let me appreciate the grandeur of the Chinese emperors once again.
If there had been fewer people, I could have enjoyed it even more,
but it was so crowded that I only spent about 10 minutes admiring the view before heading down.
If your schedule allows, try visiting on a weekday, or
well before the Forbidden City's closing time –
it would likely be much less crowded, so keep that in mind!
Seeing the inner workings of the ancient palace at the Forbidden City
and then looking down at its entire magnificent expanse from Jingshan Park
really made the trip feel even more fulfilling.
Just remember that there are quite a few stairs to climb,
so I highly recommend wearing comfortable athletic shoes.
Also, you can buy iced water near the entrance,
so grabbing a bottle or two before you ascend will make the climb much easier!
So, keeping the information I shared today in mind, make sure to visit Jingshan Park
for an unparalleled panoramic view of the Forbidden City!
▼ Curious about other travel destinations in Beijing? ▼
Jingshan Park operates from 6 AM to 9 PM from April to October. From November to March, it operates from 6 AM to 8 PM. Please note that the last admission times may vary, so be aware when planning your visit.
The admission fee for one adult at Jingshan Park is 2 Chinese Yuan (CNY), which is less than ~$1. The article's author mentioned being able to purchase tickets at the on-site queue in about 15 minutes on a weekend.
Yes, Jingshan Park is located north of the Forbidden City (Gugong), making it a recommended next stop after your Forbidden City tour. It's directly across from the Forbidden City's North Gate, so you can enter right after crossing just one road.
To reach the Jingshan Park observation deck, you need to walk up stairs, passing about three pavilion-like buildings before arriving. If you visit on a weekend, especially close to the Forbidden City's closing time, it can be very crowded with both tourists and locals.
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