Fragrant Mountain Red Leaves

The scenic spot Fragrant Mountain Red Leaves, one of the four most famous sites to view maples in China, is located in the well-known Fragrant Mountain Forest Park of Beijing.

The Fragrant Mountain, located at the east foot of Xishan Mountain of Beijing, is so named because the huge stones within the mountain look like the censer. The Yong’an Temple was built here by the emperor of the Jin Dynasty in 1186, with temporary palaces built aside. The temple was expanded by later generations. To the tenth year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1745), it was expanded to be a temple with 28 spots, and was renamed Jingyi Garden. According to the investigation, Fragrant Mountain Red Leaves include 7 species of 13 sorts of trees, with a total amount of 120 thousand trees and total planting area of about 87 hectares. The sight is rather magnificent.

The Fragrant Mountain Red Leaves are concerned with the horse-hoof shaped landform of the Fragrant Mountain, and with the effect of temperature caused by the rising altitude as well. It is the best season to view red leaves from the Mid-October to the first ten days of November, during which period, numerous domestic and foreign tourists, attracted by the Fragrant Mountain Red Leaves Festival, will come to the site to visit. And, at this time, thousands of hectares of maples on the sloping field are so red that you would mistake them for fallen petals if looking from a further area, and not until you get close to them could you recognize them as elliptical leaves. There are ten best positions to view this beautiful sight, the best of which is a small pavilion at the top of Mount Senyuhu, where you may take a bird’s eye view on a gorgeous picture that on the slopes far and close, the bright red, pink, scarlet, and peachpuff leaves are distributed in distinct layout, with some green pines and cypresses dotted in between.