Beishan Park (běi shān gōng yuán 北山公园) is a large, quiet park, situated in the west of Jilin. The park has many interesting features, and is considered an optimum venue for its summer lotus flowers and winter "rimy pines". Originally the park was established in 1927, but has undergone renovations and expansion many times since then. The park is reminiscent of many of the similar areas in Suzhou and Hangzhou, with pavilions, bridges, corridors and terraces well designed and scattered about among the hills. Three small linked lakes run along the foot of the main mountain, and it is possible to take a boat to the islet and pavilion in the center of the lake. In the northwestern corner of the park is a Mausoleum for Martyrs who died during the early Communist years, and the memorial hall has epigraphs by Chairman Mao and other high profile cadre members. The park is also famed for it many holy features. The religious and cultural features are prevalent here with Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian temples all around.

 

With its upland scenery, the Beishan Park covers an area of ten thousand square meters with an altitude of 270 meters. With the precipitous ridges and peaks capped with green, the kiosks and pavilions spread all over the park. The Wobo (wò bō 卧波) Bridge divides the lake into the east and west part. When summer comes, the water lily dances in the middle of the lake, fancy and sweet.  Located in the center of downtown, the North Mountain Park was set up in 1927 which is the important scenic spot in Jilin Province. The array of ancient temples in the North Mountain characterized by a blending of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, lie in the upside of the North Mountain Park. The kiosks, bridges, corridors and water garden sprinkled among the verdant forests and serene mountains.

If you are in town in March, the annual temple fairs on April 18 and 28 of the traditional Chinese calendar have Dongbei (dōng běi 东北) folk dancing, the "Yange" (yāng gē 秧歌) and participating in many other traditional activities rooted in local culture. Next to the park is the local Kung Fu School, near its entrance. If you're into this sort of thing you can get lessons, although the thick Dongbei accents can make proper study a trial. Three month courses are generally the shortest available.

 

In former days, the North Mountain is famous for the "North Mountain two towers" (běi shān shuāng tǎ 北山双塔), "Medicine Temple's curfew" (yào sì wǎn zhōng 药寺晚钟) and "Debei afterglow" (dé bēi xī zhào 德碑夕照). The ancient architectures inside the park includes: Guandi Temple (guān dì miào 关帝庙), King Medicine Temple (yào wáng miào 药王庙), Kanli Palace (kǎn lí gōng 坎离宫), and Jade Emperor Pavilion, which are located in the east apex. The Guandi Temple was set up during the year of the Emperor Kangxi (kāng xī 康熙) of Qing (qīng 清) Dynasty. There are also other perfect scenery, such as Lanyue Pavilion (lǎn yuè ting 揽月亭), Yuan Mountain (yuán shān 缘山), Fanxue Hall (fàn xuě tang 泛雪堂) and Yuhuang Pavilion (yù huáng gé 玉皇阁).