Zhongshan Park (zhōng shān gōng yuán 中山公园) is located to the west of Tian'AnMen Gate (Tiān ān mén 天安门) in the heart of the Inner City. It is the site of the former Altar of Land and Harvest ( shè jì tán 社稷坛) (from 1421, emperor YongLe (yǒnglè 永乐), Ming dynasty). The emperor would visit twice yearly - in the springtime to bring a good harvest and in the autumn for thanksgiving. Five different colours of earth are still kept at this altar, representing land from throughout the nation.

Originally part of an extended Forbidden City (Imperial City), for the emperor's personal use. Emperor YongLe requested the SheJi Tan altar to be built here around 1421 to be used for sacrifices to the God of Grain. The emperor would visit twice yearly - in the springtime to bring a good harvest and in the autumn for thanksgiving. Five different colours of earth are still kept at this altar, representing land from throughout the nation. The XiLi Ting Pavilion in the south of park once housed the ceremonial chamber.
The altar grounds became a public park in 1914. The park was renamed SunYatSen Park in 1928 in memory of China's first great revolutionary political leader who helped bring about the first republic era in 1911. ZhongShan is SunYatSen's alternate name. The park has been partly redeveloped since 1949 .

One famous scene in the park that one tree grows from the trunk of another 

ZhongShan Park covers an area of 24 hectares (60 acres) and is a grand example of classical Chinese landscape gardening. It is also famous for many old cypress trees, some of which are over 1,000 years old.
The park also features a concert hall, a large pond, peonies (late spring and early summer), rock gardens, pavilions and colorful long corridors. At the north end, one can go boating on part of the Forbiddem City moat.
The place where acient ritual activity was hosted
When standing outside Tian'AnMen Gate on Chang'An avenue, walk to the west (left, as looking towards Tian'AnMen Gate) a little way to find the entrance to ZhongShan Park.
Besides, Zhongshan Park is also a popular place for morning excercises and the place where a lot of flower exhibitions are hosted.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel playing Kongzhu (空竹) in Zhongshan Park, Beijing in her visit in China 2007.

Sun Yat-sen (Sūn Yìxiān 孫逸仙 ) or Sun Zhongshan (Sūn Zhōngshān 孫中山) (November 12, 1866 – March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the Father of Modern China. Sun played an instrumental role in the eventual collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered in both Mainland China and in Taiwan.
Although Sun is considered one of the greatest leaders of modern China, his political life was one of constant struggle and frequent exile. After the success of the revolution, he quickly fell out of power in the newly-founded Republic of China, and led successive revolutionary governments as a challenge to the warlords who controlled much of the nation. Sun did not live to see his party bring about consolidation of power over the country. His party, which formed a fragile alliance with the Communists, split into two factions after his death. Sun's chief legacy resides in his developing a political philosophy known as the Three Principles of the People (The People's Relation/Connection, The People's Power, and the People's Livelihood/Welfare, or sometimes known as nationalism, democracy, and socialism depending on the translation).
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Tickets: 3 yuan for adults and 1.5 yuan for kids
Opening Hours: 6:00--21:00
Address: 4 Zhonghua Road, Dongcheng District (东城区中华路4号)
Buses: 1、2、4、5、10、20、52、57、22、54、120、802
9、17、44、48、53、59、66、110、307、803、808、819、922
Tel: +86 (0)10 66055431
Tips: This is a place where you can appreciate the beauty of both acient and modern architecures.
The park has plants green throughout the year.
Flower exhitibions are hosted regularly.
There is a place for kids to play, a water pool for entertainment and restaurants inside the park.