The Fragrant Hills Park, about 30 kilometres northwest of Beijing, is one of the most favourite resorts in the city's outskirts. It covers an area of 160 hectares.
    In 1186, in the Jin Dynasty, the Fragrant Hills Temple was built and terraces, pavilions and pagodas were added by the subsequent dynasties. The area was later converted into a park and was named the Park of Tranquility and Pleasure.   
    Along with Yuanmingyuan and the Summer Palace, the park was twice destroyed in 1860 and in 1900. The destruction was so serious that the reconstruction efforts made in the later years were never able to restore its original scale and splendour. After 1949, large-scale restoration took place and now the Fragrant Hills Park is a pop- ular place in late autumn for holiday-makers when the maple leaves redden. The brilliant foliage is the main attraction. No one is sure where the sumac trees originated. Legend has it that a south wind carried the seeds of the red-leaf trees to Beijing. Then the seeds survived, and as years passed they grew into a lovely forest. Another story goes that the sumacs were transplanted to the area by Emperor Qianlong (l736-l795) of the Qing Dynasty. In November, the frosted leaves of these trees, along with the persimmons and maples, spread over the Fragrant Hills like a thick red blanket. For two centuries, it has been a resort for the residents in Beijing.

Major places of interest in the park include:
Spectacles Lake
    Built in l745, the Spectacles Lake actually consists of two ponds separated and spanned by a stone bridge. When the water reflects the sunlight, the twin lakes resemble a pair of spectacles, hence the name. On the shore is a small stone cave with a spring above it. The water drips down over the entrance of the cave, forming a water screen that freezes into icicles in winter.
Studio of Tranquil Heart
    It was first built in mid-16th century under the Ming and was reconstructed in the Qing period. In the enclosure there is a large semi-circular pool in the shape of a heart. The studio was burned down in 1860 and was renovated after 1949.
Bright Temple
    Lying to the south of the Studio of Tranquil Heart, the Bright Temple was built in 1780 as a residence for the Sixth Bainqen Erdeni when he visited Beijing. The compound has a 10-metre-high red terrace in Tibetan style. It was destroyed by the Anglo-French troops in 1860.

Shuangqing Villa
    Xiangshan Temple Southeast Mid-slope, there is a unique and quiet courtyard, that is Shuangqing Villa.
Censer peak
    The highest point of elevation of 557 meters, the highest point of the Fragrant Hills Park, because of its steep climb difficult and commonly known as the "Sorrowful to a Ghost". Standing on the platform of the White Cloud Temple King, distant Kunming Lake is like a pot of water, all kinds of buildings spread all over, so that visitors to a new understanding of Beijing.
Jianxinzhai
Chao Temple in the north can be seen a wall, the wall to see Shinsaibashi. Located west of the North Gate Park, there is only one well preserved monuments.
Fragrant Hill Hotel
    This the Fragrant Hill Hotel is designed under the auspices of world-renowned architect Chinese-American IM Pei. The entire building complex of China's north-south architectural style, the combination of Chinese traditional and modern style as one of the works, giving a sense of comfort and serenity.
Temple of Azure Clouds
    It's one of the most beautiful temple in the Xishan Scenic Area. This temple was founded in the Yuan Dynasty to Shun, 2002 (1331), dating back over 600 years of history.