A local retreat: purple bamboo park

A small band plays music on a sunny afternoon for a crowd of dance enthusiasts at the Purple Bamboo Park. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

The Purple Bamboo Park occupies 14 hectares in Beijing's northwestern Haidian District near the Beijing Zoo and National Library of China. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Each of the lakes has a boathouse, with a variety of pleasure boats for rent. The most charming of these have traditional style pavilions that shelter boaters from the sun. The lakes are well-kept and clean, flourishing with lily pads, lotus flowers, and families of ducks.

A scenic canal runs along the north side of the park, which once served as the water route to the Summer Palace. It was used by Qing dynasty Emperors and officials. Boats still cruise along the canal; the terminal can be found at the Exhibition Center near Xizhimen.

The Purple Bamboo Park is within walking distance of both the National Library and the Beijing Zoo, so visitors can easily cover more than one site in a day. A stone's throw from the Xizhimen transportation hub, the area is easily accessible from anywhere in the city.

Unlike some more popular outdoor attractions in Beijing' s northwestern Haidian District, such as the Summer Palace, the Purple Bamboo Park is free of charge and closes late in the evening.

The atmosphere at Purple Bamboo Park is a mix of activity and relaxation; there is easy access to other sites in the area and public transportation only adds to its appeal. What the park lacks in fame, compared with the city's other large public gardens, it makes up for in local culture and manicured beauty.