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Having your very own home garden does not only translate to sweating under the intense heat of the sun toiling, weeding and growing flowers and plants but would also mean spending your hard earned cash on home garden tools that may not at all come that cheap. But then again, there is a way around these costs. There always is, if you are imaginative and innovative enough. You may not even have to look and search that far. Your kitchen or perhaps your waste basket may hold the very solution to your garden tools expense predicament. No need to mop and think long and hard on how. Here are a few creative tips.

Yogurt containers usually go straight to the trash as soon as we scoop out that last spoon of yummy yogurt. But hold up, there might be more to these plastic tubs than meets the eye. These yogurt containers can be great sanctuaries for your seedlings protecting them from those nosy good for nothing night-crawling cutworms. Working as a shield, sink these tubs into your soil enclosing the seedlings in. You can strip off the yogurt shield as soon as the seeds are able to grow sturdy stems.

These small plastic pots can also be used as cute flower pots. Just make sure to punch in a few holes in them to allow the soil to breathe and also to release excess water. Moreover, if you are looking for something to help you scoop up your soil or fertilizers, these yogurt containers may be your best bet.

If the yogurt container can make do as a small scoop, the plastic milk jug may be employed as its bigger version. This jug has a lot of flexible uses for your home garden. Mixing and sprinkling liquid fertilizer to your home grown plants is easy and trouble-free with the use of a milk jug. Simply put the fertilizer ingredients in, shake to blend, poke some holes on the top and you are set to shower your plants with nutrients. If frosty and chilly seasons have caused you to lose your baby seedlings and underdeveloped plants, the plastic milk jug may pose to be a solution to your problem. By covering your plants with the jug (make sure to remove the bottom of course) heat is stored and retained for the plants. What is more, you have the option to adjust the warmth of your plastic mini conservatory by opening or closing the cap.

If you think your egg cartons can offer no help in your home garden, think again! These containers are known to be perfect for growing seedlings. Using the Styrofoam ones are more preferred and it is important that you wash and clean them well before use so that you can prevent any bacterial contamination. Punch a hole on the base of each cell to allow for drainage.

It is essential that your home garden plants get at least an inch of water in a week. While figuring the volume of water your plants get may seem like a difficult endeavor, it is actually not. You may use those straight-sided tuna cans in collecting or measuring if your home garden is getting enough rain or sprinkler water.

In our imaginations the wild places of Africa are timeless and unchanging. That is the reason why Africans and non-Africans seek them out, to restore calm and proportion to their lives.

In reality of course, this isn’t true because Africa’s landscapes change just like any other as they respond to shifts in their environment and human activity.

For the past million years or so, humans and their ancestors have been the main agents of change in Africa’s savannah. Kruger National Park is not an Island, but an integral part of a continent, alive with people, their needs and dreams and hopes for the future.

As part of Africa’s greatest safari parks, Kruger National Park is part of the great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Elephants can easily be seen in this park and their are 145 mammal species to look out for including lions, cheetah, giraffe, hippos, rhino, and buffalo.

Kruger National Park Accommodation styles range from standard bungalow, to luxury safari lodge, to basic camp site, with prices to suit just about every budget. Whether you are looking for a family vacation, Africa travel or a budget African safari, there’s bound to be something for you.

Here are some Restcamps at Kruger National Park.

Berg-en-Dal (with satellite Malelane)

Berg-en-Dal is situated on the bank of the Matjulu Spruit with a view of softly undulating hills to the east. On the northern and southern sides dry riverbeds and a dam border the camp. There are large trees along the streams and dry riverbeds. Special care has been taken to preserve the natural vegetation in the camp. Berg-en-Dal is also the only camp set in a rugged mountain environment and is built on the site of a prehistoric settlements.

Crocodile Bridge

This small and delightful camp is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Kruger National Park, on the northern bank of the Crocodile River, from which it derives its name. After an early morning game drive, one can retire from the Lowveld heat to a lunch of prawns before coming back for late afternoon game viewing. The game viewing area is known as the ‘Southern Circle’ and is renowned for its concentration of different prides of lion with different hunting techniques and behavior. It has an abundance of prides, herds, troops, packs and swarms. It is home to a larger percentage of the Kruger National Park’s total rhino population.

Letaba

The idyllic Letaba Rest Camp is situated on a sweeping bend of the Letaba River, midway between the southern and northern boundaries of the Kruger National Park. The name means “river of sand”, and the sandy riverbed is an excellent location for game viewing, particularly elephant, which thrive in the area. Letaba is a green oasis in the surrounding mopane veld, and remains a firm favorite with visitors.

Lower Sabie

Lower Sabie graces the banks of the Sabie River, one of the few perennial rivers to flow through the Kruger National Park. Visitors cannot but feel soothed by the view towards the river and the Lebombo Mountains beyond. In this rest camp, the bounty and plenitude of nature are very evident, eloquently symbolized by the most conspicuous of its numerous trees, the mighty sycamore fig, which provides generously for the livelihood of many birds and insects. Not only do these giants produce fruit at least twice a year, but different trees produce fruit at different times, extending the gifts of life over many months.

Olifants

The camp is situated a top a hill which towers several hundred feet over the Olifants river. Views from the lookout platforms allow one to see the river below, just as a soaring eagle would survey it, as it hunts from the skies.

Pretoriuskop

When the world was still young, some 3 500 million years ago, molten rock forced its way through the earth’s crust and solidified to form the spectacular granite outcrops where Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is now nestled. The impressive granite dome known as “Shabeni Hill” is not far from the camp, which is found in the south-western corner of the Kruger National Park. It is immediately apparent to any visitor that Pretoriuskop is unique as brilliant red trees adorn the camp, pre-dating the decision to make exclusive use of indigenous plants in laying out rest camp gardens. Nostalgia prompted an exception to the rule for Pretoriuskop, the Kruger National Park’s oldest rest camp, and exotic flowering plants were allowed to stay, enhancing the strong sense of the past that is so pervasive.

Punda Maria

Punda Maria lies in the northern most part of the Kruger National Park, 8 km from Punda Maria Gate. The camp is situated in the Sandveld region that is often described as the botanical garden of the Kruger National Park. There are numerous plant species which occur that are unique to the area. Game species most likely to be sighted include impala, zebra, buffalo, elephant, eland and sable and the area is a bird paradise.

If you have decided to re-vamp your back (or front) yard, the first thing you must do is to measure it and commit the measurements to a piece of graph paper. The recommended scale is one inch equals ten feet, which is a good size while you are experimenting and roughing out your draft plans. Once you have decided upon a plan, you may wish to transfer it to one foot equals one inch (1′=1″ scale).

Make sure you point which way is north, as this will be handy when you need to choose which plants you want. Map out any utility pipes or cables if necessary. Next thing to go on your ‘map’ will be existing trees and shrubs that will stay where they are already placed.

Other factors you may need to consider are wind in your yard, slopes, privacy and the basic features that you need in your yard. To determine this, you have to consider whether you are primarily designing a children’s play garden, a peaceful haven, a flowering paradise or just a low maintenance lawn with shrubs.

Other factors to consider are parking places for vehicles, storage space, a pool, fountain or pond option and whether you want a sprinkler system.

If you are planning to do all the work yourself, then one good idea is to make a list of all the features that you know you can manage to build alone. That is, you may be comfortable installing a re-circulating pre-formed pond but not a fresh water pond; or you may know that you can lay a concrete tile patio, but not a brick one, etc.

Once you have your plan mapped out, it is not too difficult to transfer the plan to the actual yard. Use string to divide up your areas and to make sure it’s transferring the way that you imagined it.

Unity is important in a garden, and can be introduced through repetition of colour, or type of stone, etc. Prevalent shades of pale mauve through to purple, for example, could present a very attractive, unified look for a garden.

When it come to pathways, or any lines for that matter, straight lines are more severe and businesslike. If you want your yard to feel more like a haven, one of the things that you will need is curved pathways and curving edges to your flower beds. Straight lines and straight edges traditionally suggest neatness and precision!

Gravel pathways can be used to ‘break up’ a yard and gravel comes in attractive shades from cream and sandy-beach colors to dark red gravel. A gravel pathway to a gazebo suggests a more restful mood than a gray concrete path.

Want to create the impression of a large garden? Experts advise that you should break your yard area up instead of having one whole spread to look at. This can be done in several ways. One way is to have an archway flanked by tall shrubs and a section of yard showing through the archway. If you are planning this, it is also a good idea to plan it near an existing tree, to add to the division of the yard area.

If you want to go the oriental route, small bridges can be bought fairly cheaply. They seem to range anywhere from one hundred dollars upwards. Most of them come in kit form, so you need to be handy with a hammer! Bridges do not have to go over water – they can also span a path of white washed gravel, with just a few medium size shrubs around the edges of it to enhance it.

The cheapest possible garden lamps that you can buy will look tailor made in an oriental garden! They are called mushroom lamps, and they are very easy to install – they just push in to the earth. Cable can be hidden by running it under the gravel pathways, as long as you remember this in your design.

Finally, try not to spend all your money on the landscaping supplies and plants. Save a few dollars for a good back massage after your yard is completed!

Most homes have gardens or yards. Some of these can be as big as those in mansions while some of these can be small. Despite the beauty of the flowers, trees and grass that make up the garden, the one thing that people take for granted is not being able to enjoy watching it longer. When one frequents public places such as parks, campsites, playgrounds, the zoo, one will notice that there are benches for people to stop and view what is there. It also provides a break from walking and makes someone catch ones breath. A lot of advice on making the garden look better would instruct to buy new plants or make something unique using ceramics. Just like everything else, a bench is an accessory that one must also consider. No one can appreciate the beauty of a garden and the surroundings if no one is able to sit there and appreciate it. That is where the importance of the bench comes in.

1. Know The Area

A garden or yard as mentioned earlier vary according to the size of the home By identifying the places where one can best appreciate the garden, one will not have a hard time buying the right bench for that particular location. The size of the area where the bench will be placed is also very important since this will determine the number of benches one may one to put this after these have been purchased.

2. Know The Kinds Of Benches Available

Parks usually have benches made out of wood or marble. Rest areas along the interstate or even in the zoo use those made out of wood. After identifying the locations, one can easily check out what is available in the market then see which models are suitable for the garden. Some benches have an arm and backrest. Others have a table that go with it so one can enjoy a family barbecue in the back yard. These are some examples of what are available in the market and all it takes is for one to visit the neighborhood furniture store or do some research by the Internet. There are a lot of retailers who offer the same items online and the prices of these are quite competitive. Once the person finds a good bargain, one will just have order it then wait a few days for the delivery to arrive.

3. High Or Low Maitenance?

Benches like an automobile require some maintenance. If a bench is made of plastic and it gets dirty, one can simply wash off the dirt and wipe it making it good as new. Wood on the other hand requires high maintenance. To keep the varnish intact and sparkling, one would have to buy a spray and cloth to keep it in good condition. Benches made out stone or marbledon’t require that much maintenance. They do not rust like benches made out of steel or aluminum though these do chip off.

4. Usage – The Most Important Factor!

- Read a book
- Chat with the other members of the family
- Enjoy the garden
- Watch a sunset
- Eat outdoors
- Barbecue in style

5. An Addition To Your Home – Not Just A Bench

The best of way of buying the right bench for the yard or garden is to figure out the best possible bench money can buy. This does not mean the most expensive but the one that is there for a purpose and not for aesthetic purposes only. The other way if getting the ideal bench will be to build one. If the person were crafty, it would be no problem to build one after buying the right materials. Some pieces of wood, a bunch of nails, and a good hammer and saw. When in doubt how to begin, one can always purchase from the local bookstore an instruction manual or book since there have been several authors who have written about woodwork that show the various designs on how to do it.

Gardening can be a task that is difficult, but one that holds its own reward in coaxing and nurturing plants to create something beautiful. However, some people want to go beyond the simple beauty of the greenery, and wish to impose order upon the more fluid shapes of nature, thus creating something that’s a work of art and a celebration of precision. It is this precision that forms the basis of formal garden design. If you have a desire to incorporate formal garden design in your own home garden, it helps to know where to start.

Clean Lines

Formal garden design is characterized by clean lines that define an area rather than natural, organic shapes. This is most easily accomplished by the use of tightly growing plants, hedges in particular, to define those lines. For those who are looking to incorporate formal garden design into their home, the simplest way to get started is to plant a hedgerow around a flower bed, enclosing your plants while using the hedge to provide a border.

Emphasizing the Pattern

As you grow more proficient in the significant upkeep that formal garden design requires, you may wish to find ways to further emphasize those lines. This is where paving and gravel can come into play, using them to fill negative spaces, defining walkways and even creating interplays of color that work with the plants used in your informal garden design. If you get to the point where your formal garden design is incorporating these elements, you’ll probably have something that looks like a beautiful, miniature park.

Topiary

A feature in many elaborate formal garden designs is topiary, where sculptures are created out of tight evergreen bushes or hedges. While you certainly wouldn’t expect someone new to topiary to suddenly start crafting elaborate sculptures out of the hedges, the process of coaxing the hedges to define the lines of your garden, in essence, contains the basics of topiary. If you do want to somehow incorporate this in your formal garden design, you should keep in mind that doing so requires patience and a steady hand when cutting.

For a basic topiary design to add to your formal garden, try using techniques to coax smooth curves in your hedges, helping the shape of your garden to flow. Or, if you still have something that’s got a lot of right angles and corners, start growing shapes at the corners to add decoration; think of the ornaments you see at the corners on fancy staircases and molding in architecture. By incorporating topiary into your formal garden design, you can take basic lines and create art, all adding up to a beautiful, green space in your home.

ONE

The Union Square Farmers market in New York City is a perfect source for inexpensive and hearty regionally grown plants, herbs, and flowers. Get there first thing in the morning and you’ll quickly discover there’s too- much -to -choose- from. Stroll among the market stalls and weave between the Blew Family’s jumbo packets of rosemary , and the Migliorelli Farms sugar snap peas. Bring along your kitchen scraps and drop it off at the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s stand, and while you’re at it pick up a bag of ‘black gold’ (worm casting compost) for only 50 cents a pound. Then decide on home baked garlic & duck fat Ciabatta along with a too- beautiful- to -pass -up bouquet of freshly cut snapdragons. Bordered by 17th Street, Union Square West, 14th Street and Union Square East Directions: 4, 5, 6; N, R; L at Union Sq

TWO

CREST a neighborhood HARDWARE store in Williamsburg Brooklyn on Metropolitan & Union Ave. is unique in a sea of big-box chain stores. As soon as you walk in you hear TOP TEN AM-radio playing and, ’Mike’ whose been there for over two decades, sings out ‘hello sweetheart!’ Everyone is dubbed sweetheart, even ‘Finley’ the African grey parrot whose been in residence for 5 years. Isles 4, 5 and 6 are a gardeners eden– laden with plant food, organic seeds & soil, hanging baskets, rain wands, marble chips, pea gravel, green hoses, and watering cans. The prices are friendly too! 558 Metropolitan Ave Directions: L train to Lorimer

THREE

No wonder Martha Stewart came out of prison smelling like a rose. She’s transported her Everyday brand of gardeners provisions for K-mart with an A–Z line of really cute edible and annual seed packets. And just ripe for the urban gardener she’s individually wrapped a mini-series of tomato and strawberry patch green houses. K-mart 8973 Bay Pkwy, Brooklyn NY 11214 770 Broadway, New York NY 10003 Phone: 212-673-1540 250 W 34th St Fl CONC14, New York NY 10119

FOUR

Wrapped around the back of the 10,000 square-foot of Chelsea Garden Center on 38th and 10th AVE. are wooden barrels, black clay urns, Italian & Hungarian terra-cotta containers, stunningly hued Vietnamese glazed pots, and natural cedar crates in every imaginable size. In one way or another, everyone is a certified horticulturalist, largely through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens education program. Just ask any idiosyncratic garden question and the easy going staff has a solution. 499 10th Ave, New York, 10018 – (212) 727-7100

FIVE

If you can’t grow it, go in its place. Cherry Blossoms in May, Roses in June. All year long the Brooklyn Botanical Garden provides a vibrant-green lovers escape. BBG is 52 acres of urban horticulture and botanical resource. Apply on line and help out in the gardens extensive volunteer and education program. Or become a member and enjoy the plus side of members only summer picnics, tour & class discounts, and pre-view seasonal plant sales. 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn NY 11225 · 718-623-7200 Directions: The B or Q train to Prospect Park station. (The B train does not run on weekends.) The 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway

SIX

Snatching up abandoned and derelict city lots, planting flowers & vegetables, creating green-space and invigorating a neighborhood is essentially illegal. That said it’s been happening since 1973 in all 5 boroughs with unshakable influence by the Green Guerillas of NYC . Visit them online and find a community garden in your neighborhood and while you’re at it stop by the 18 gardens on the annual ‘Green With Envy Tour’ spread out over two Saturdays in late June. — www.greenguerillas.org

BONUS

Gardening is like any great adventure and a pocket sized guide or a list of rules is always handy.

1. Spend your money on good soil and the soil will feed the plant.

2. For beauty’s sake recycle stone, wood, iron, terracotta and other natural materials in your garden.

3. THINK COLOR. Experiment with monochromatic arrangements, color themes, and contrasting one-color, two-color and three color toned gardens.

4. Grow something that will attract butterflies–you’ll never regret it.

a. Bee balm

b. Cosmos

c. Marigold

d. Sunflower

e. Zinnia

5. Keep a gardening journal. (once winter rolls around you’ll be grateful)

6. Break the rules once.

Most businesses will begin remodeling gardens visited by the public during the winter months. Some tourist locations close when the weather turns cold but will take advantage of this time to update the amusement park landscapes and make any repairs to fencing and attractions on a larger scale than they would if tourists were swarming the property in full force during the tourist season.

When remodeling garden visited by the pubic, it is possible that some fountains will be moved to enhance the sense of change that overtakes a public meeting place. Some fountains might be repainted and resurfaced and many will receive a new layer of sod to make newly planted shrubs flower and bloom in the spring. Some remodeling projects will take animals and wildlife into consideration before any changes are made to the area under renovation.

Some wildlife habitats are what visitors seek out in their vacation travels and the gardens that are remodeled will affect the animals in some way. Animals get to know where their water sources are and moving those sources can cause great changes to occur in the animal’s attitude. Remodeling a garden in a wildlife refuge requires approval of many people under the auspices of many government agencies at times and approval for these changes is sometimes denied.

Some remodeling projects for gardens will delight visitors year round. Some gardens consist of trees that have been cleverly arranged to form mazes that may take hours to walk through. These gardens will require trimming and watering at times because some months of the year cause droughts to occur. The gardening project will no doubt allow for irrigation systems to help keep everything living year round.

The more exposed gardens around the home will be seen by the public in some way. Neighbors can take great delight in seeing beautiful flowers in bloom year round from a garden that is developed with shrubs and plants that offer their blooms on a calendar that can be carefully coordinated. The areas that do not bloom can still emit colors of green in different hues that are certain to delight anyone that drives up the driveway or past the house during the day.

Some public gardens have to be remodeled because statues have turned color and instead of white, the marble has become green. These statues are routinely exposed to all of the weather elements and must be carefully cleaned by professionals to ensure that the artistic statues are not damaged in any way. The garden paths might need to be realigned if some statues are too large to move or the curator of the museum could ask that the statues be protected with an awning or some other form of cover.

The Sentosa Butterfly Park is located at the Mount Imbiah area of Sentosa. This is quite near to the cable car station as well as the bus station. This garden is a host to as many as 1500 colorful butterflies belonging to more than 50 diverse species. While sauntering through this unruffled orangery, you explore the world of nature’s most beautiful and rare insects of the Insect Kingdom. This conservatory has been built for those magnificent small creatures that were getting extinct due to the massive urban expansion.

The Insect Revolution display in the garden will enlighten you on the evolution of these insects right from the time when they started appearing on Earth. The signature feature of the Insect garden is the presence of sets of insect fossils. These fossils have been dated millions of years ago.

The butterfly park has a cave that stretches to an area of seventy meters. This is first of its kind in the world and is a home to a large number of insects living in their biological environment. As you walk through the cave you can just stand and glance at the creation of life while watching the Live Pupae house. Or don’t get scared when you encounter a huge, 160 mm, Dynates Hercules beetle. If you happen to wear colorful clothes while strolling in the garden, be prepared to be followed by butterflies who will mistake you for a flower. Apart from these there is a plethora of other kind of insects like spiders, scorpions, beetles and bugs – all being unique. Fireflies will welcome you as you visit the dark interiors of the cave. These insects give a bright spark from within the body, which will illuminate your pathway.

The stage shows related to the insects should not be missed. Over here you will come to know the ways of managing the giant scorpions along with other insects. If you are the watchful kind, then try to spot the stick insects that are camouflaged in a way that even the most alert will get tricked, in the Stick Insect Safari.

The Butterfly Garden is filled with a menagerie of tiny and colorful insects. A walk through it will delight the children and the grown-ups alike.

Whenever you visit Singapore, ensure you reserve you Singapore hotel accommodation prior to arrival. The Millennium hotels in Singapore are a great choice and you can select from several locations, depending on where you’ll be visiting the most

Creating a wildlife garden allows you take part in your larger surrounding environment. Often gardens are completely shut out from the natural landscape around it and aren’t welcoming to birds and other wildlife. Adding a few well placed and well chosen shrubs or trees can make all the difference when trying to attract birds to your garden.

Map out and observe your surroundings to see what natural habitats are close by. Are there any ponds, rivers, or streams? Are parks, golf courses or nature reserves nearby? Remember, your garden is part of the larger environment. Knowing what the local ecosystems are will better enable you to plan your garden.

In order to attract birds, gardens must supply them with food, water, shelter and nesting areas. Provide for different bird species by making available a variety of seed and berry producing trees and shrubs, such as Washington hawthorn, mountain ash, cherry and viburnum. Flowers such as hollyhock, nasturtium, and sunflower produce seed which attract birds as well. Indigenous plants, those which grow naturally in a specific area, are very effective at attracting local bird species. Try to incorporate some of these into your garden.

Also, be sure to provide food throughout the year. For example, in the spring have a few different berry producing shrubs available, such as blueberries and raspberries. In the summer, perennials provide seed and in the fall trees such as dogwood and serviceberry bear fruit which birds will seek out. Birds which over winter in your area will need sustenance provided by winterberry and other fruit bearing shrubs.

Different birds need different foods and different environments in which to live. Robins, for example, eat at ground level where they forage for insects and worms while many other birds prefer to be off the ground a bit in the midst of a perennials garden where they eat the seeds of the flowers. Some birds, like grosbeaks, prefer the height of shrubs and others still, such as the woodpecker, prefer to be in the canopy of taller trees where their able to find insects in the tree’s bark.

Plants, while providing food, also supply birds with shelter. Evergreens and other dense shrubs provide nesting areas and protection from cold winter winds and create shade in the heat of the summer. While it may be impossible to incorporate all these habitats into your garden, plan at least a couple. The more habitats you can provide the more birds will flock to your garden.

Along with food, birds require water for both drinking and bathing. If there aren’t any natural water sources near your garden, be sure to place a birdbath or water dish in the area. Keep the water fresh by filling it daily. In the winter when the water freezes knock out the ice and replace with fresh water. Most home and garden stores that stock birdbaths sell small water heaters which will prevent freezing. If you are considering using one of these consult an electrician to help with the installation. If their aren’t any natural water systems in your area, consider planning a water garden, just remember bird prefer shallow water to deep water. Waterfalls and bubbling fountains will attract a number of birds since most species are drawn to the sound of running water.

If you’re contemplating using a bird feeder, maintain it and be sure to keep it stocked as birds often come to depend on these feeders, especially during the lean, harsh months of winter. Since birds are attracted to a variety of different foods, supply them with seeds, berries, fats, breads and nuts. Avoid salty foods. Using a birdhouse for your seed provides shelter as well as a place for food.

Creating a garden which attracts birds has positive effect on the environment; you’re providing a new habitat for birds and well as beneficial insects and other wildlife. While birds will thrive and will benefit the most from your efforts, you’re also providing years of enjoyment for both yourself and visitors to your garden.

BeiHai Park, in central beijingclose to the Forbidden City, is one of the oldest and most authentically preserved imperial gardens in China.

BeiHai Park has a history of over 1,000 years. BeiHai Park has existed throughout the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

White Dagoba

On top of the Jade Flowery Islet, the White Dagoba was built in 1651 on the former site of the Palace in the Moon where Kublai Khan received Marco Polo. At the suggestion of a famous Tibetan lama, Emperor Shunzhi, the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty agreed to build such a Tibetan dagoba to show his belief in Buddhism and his desire for the unification among various Chinese ethnic groups. The White Dagoba was destroyed in an earthquake and reconstructed twice. Now, resting on a huge stone base, it stands 35.9 meters (about 118 feet) high and is capped by two bronze umbrella-like canopies, with 14 bronze bells hanging around them. Inside, the dagoba holds the Buddhist Scriptures, the monk’s mantle and alms bowl and two pieces of Sarira. Since the White Dagoba is the highest point in Beihai Park, it served as a vantage point with a beautiful view of the whole park.

In front of the White Dagoba is the White Dagoba Temple. There are several other buildings and halls you could visit if you have enough time. These include Zhengjue Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Stone Tablets of ‘Qiongdao Chunyin’ (means the beautiful scenery of the Jade Flowery Islet in spring; inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty) etc, all scattered on the slope of the Qionghua Islet.

Five-Dragon Pavilions

To the southwest of the Nine-Dragon Screen lies the Five-Dragon Pavilions – five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves. From a distance, they appear together like a huge dragon. Built first in 1602 and repaired several times in Qing Dynasty, these five pavilions, half over the water, stand on the north bank of the lake opposite the Jade Flowery Islet. There are many exquisite carvings and paintings on the girders and pillars of the pavilions which make the Five-Dragon Pavilions a delightful place for the royal members in ancient China to relax and appreciate the natural beauty.

You can stand in the Five-Dragon Pavilions to see the Jade Flowery Islet with the gleaming White Dagoba standing in the exuberance of trees, flowers and various other plants. There are also many other worthwhile places to visit around the Five-Dragon Pavilions including the Heavenly King Hall, Chengguan Hall and the Temple of Little Western Skies, a famous Buddhist architecture.

Quiet Heart (Jingxin) Studio

After visiting the Eastern Shore Area, stepping westward, you will be at the Northern Shore Area. Lying to the east of this area, the Quiet Heart Studio is the most famous independent garden within Beihai Park. It was initially built in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and enlarged in Qing Dynasty. Inside the studio, there are many magnificent palaces, halls, pavilions, towers, corridors and artificial hills, numerous odd-shaped porous rocks and stones, all artistically arranged. During Qing Dynasty, some of the royal members used to rest or study here.

While visiting these famous and interesting places in Beihai Park, you could have a meal and rest in Fangshan Restaurant located at the northern shore of the lake. This restaurant was started in 1925 by a cook who formerly worked in the Qing court, so the food there is said to be of delicious imperial flavor.

Besides these places of interest in Beihai Park, there are plenty of exhibitions to see. These include the yearly exhibition of water lilies and other water plants in the Botanical Garden, the exhibition of peonies, and varied picture shows, making Beihai Park not only the center of history and culture in Beijing, but also the center of ecological and natural beauty. Now, an ancient but modern Beihai Park welcomes you from all over the world.

Address: 1 Wenjinjie, north-western corner of Forbidden City, Beijing

Tickets: CNY 10

Hours: 6:30am to 8:30pm

Bus Route:

From the South Gate: 101,103,109,812,814,846

From the North Gate: 107,111,118,701,823

From the East Gate: 5