Fragrant Hills Park (香山公园), Beijing, China

Fragrant Hills Park (香山公园) is a public park and former imperial garden at the foot of the Western Hills in the Haidian District, Beijing, China. It covers 160 ha and consists of a natural pine-cypress forest, hills with maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, as well as landscaped areas with traditional architecture and cultural relics. The name derives from the highest peak of Fragrant Hills, Xianglu Feng (Incense Burner Peak), a 557 meter hill with two large stones resembling incense burners at the top. The park was built in 1186, during the rule of the Jin dynasty, and was expanded during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to the Fragrant Hills Park on December 20, 2010. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.