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[zhangyang]

Zhongshan Park is located to the west of Tian'anmen Rostrum in the heart of the Inner City. It is the site of the former Altar of Land and Grain.

Entering through the main southern entrance, one comes to a large vestibular pavilion with long corridors running off to the east and west. In front of the pavilion is a white marble memorial archway erected by the Qing government to commemorate the German Minister Baron von Kettler, who was killed during the Yihetuan Movement ("Boxer Rebellion") in 1900. This archway originally stood outside the western entrance to the Xizongbu Alley, but after Germany's defeat in World War I, it was removed to the Zhongshan Park and inscribed with the words "Triumph of Righteousness"(Gongli Zhansheng). After 1949 it was rein scribed in Guo Moruo's handwriting with "Defeat the Peace"(Baowei Heping).

To the east stands a beautiful specimen of Taihu Lake stone known as "a slice of dark clouds," which was moved here from Yuanmingyuan. Emperor Qianlong composed its inscription. There is a peony pond, a wisteria arbor and, to the north, a grove of cypresses with trees said to have been planted in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). Seven of the trees are so large that it takes three of four persons with arms outstretched to encircle the trunk. One of the cypresses on the eastern side is particularly unusual, because a scholar trees is called "the embrace of the scholar tree and the cypress." The path that runs through the archway is lined with umbrella-like scholar trees and verdant pines.

On the southern side of this east-west path lies a greenhouse with fresh flowers on display all year round. Included are 39 varieties of tulips presented to the park in 1977 by the Princess of Holland. The eight "Orchid Pavilion" stela, standing inside a hall nearby, are engraved in the hand of Emperor Qianlong with the text of a famous preface to a collection of poems entitled the Orchid Pavilion. The Pavilion Where the Rites Are Practiced was moved to the Zhongshan Park from the Honglu Court, an office which during the Ming and Qing dynasties. In imperial times all officials coming to the capital to be received by the emperor for the first time went first to the Honglu Court to learn the proper protocol.