Park Life: Everything You Need to Know About Ritan Park
Life's a park! We take a look at Beijing's most beloved parks, dig into what makes each of them special, and why they're worth your time to explore.
Formerly the location of the temple where China's emperors would make holy sacrifices to the sun – making it one of the four temple parks of Beijing, including Temple of Heaven (Tiantan) Park, Temple of Moon (Yuetan) Park, and Temple of Earth (Ditan) Park – pocket-sized Ritan Park is now the premier park of Beijing’s Jianguomen area.
The practical stuff
Name: Ritan Park 日坛公园
Address: 6 Ritan Beilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区日坛北路6号
Opening hours: Summer, 6am-8pm; Winter, 6am-7.30pm
Price: Free
Amenities: Rock climbing wall, tea park, gardens, lakes, pavilion, Children’s play area, exercise equipment, first aid center, snacks and food, toilets
Known for: Sun Mural, Altar of the Sun
A brief history
Ritan means “Altar of the Sun,” referring to the Ming dynasty altar erected on the site in 1530. The altar was used by emperors to offer sacrifices to the sun after passing through the Holy West Gate, a tradition that continued into the Qing dynasty. The temple was abandoned under Republican rule but was revived as a park after a visit from Zhou Enlai in 1968.
Later, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s, the park was expanded southward, its famous sun mural was installed, and the original form of the altar was replicated. Since 2011, a recreation of the sacrificial ceremony is held every spring equinox.
What you can do there
After checking out the altar and Jufu temple, history buffs can also head to the northwest corner of the park to see the tomb of Ma Jun, a revolutionary martyr who was arrested in 1927 for his efforts to build up the Communist Party, and died a year later.
Once you’ve got your fill of history, you can mosey around the scenic spots of the park, such as Yuxin garden, which boasts 3,000sqm of mature trees and other flora. In the southwest corner, a scenic area surrounds a small lake. Enjoy the view from a waterside pavilion or take a gander at the painted boats from the arch bridges. An overall view can be caught from the Qinghai pavilion, which sits atop a tall hill to the north of the lake.
Like many parks, free exercise equipment is available for use just east of the altar, but what makes this exercise area special is its sizable rock-climbing wall. Curious climbers can pay RMB 10 to scale the wall once, while strong-armed excursionists can pay RMB 30 for a full day of climbing.
What sets this park apart?
Ritan Park is relatively small (at 42.8 acres compared to the approximate 768 acres of Chaoyang Park), so it's easy to explore in a spare hour, or during a lunch break. Secondly, as it is centrally located, within walking distance of the Embassy District, Guomao and The Place, it makes for a convenient break spot if you happen to work nearby.
READ: Everything You Need to Know About Tuanjiehu Park
Images: Business Traveler, Wenming.cn, Google Maps, Dianping
