When in Beijing, be sure to visit the central point of the city, Jingshan Park, steeped in historical charm.
When in Beijing, besides Tiananmen Square, the second must-visit place is Jingshan Park. Located at the very heart of Beijing, the summit of Jingshan Park is marked as the "Central Point of Beijing City."
Moreover, of great historical significance is the presence of the sacrifice site of Emperor Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty's last ruler, within Jingshan Park. It bears witness to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty.
During snowfall in Beijing, Jingshan Park becomes the perfect location to appreciate the enchanting snowy scenery of the capital.
Jingshan originated during the Jin Dynasty when Emperor Shizong excavated Beihai, and the soil was piled here, forming a mound.
In the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Shizu Kublai Khan built Dadu, and flowers and trees were planted extensively on the mound, transforming it into a royal garden known as Qingshan.
After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty renamed Dadu to "Beiping," signifying "pacifying the north."
In the year 1380, Zhu Di, the fourth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, established himself in Beiping, steadily gaining influence and establishing his own domain.
In 1398, Zhu Yuanzhang passed away, and his 21-year-old grandson Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, adopting the reign title of Jianwen, becoming the Jianwen Emperor.
With numerous consorts and a total of 42 children, including 26 princes, Zhu Yuanzhang's descendants, particularly the young emperor, were not highly regarded.
Emperor Jianwen employed the strategies of Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng to gradually diminish the power of the princes, disrupting their interests.
In August 1399, Zhu Di initiated a coup in Beiping, known as the "Jingnan Uprising."
On June 13, 1402, Zhu Di's forces captured Nanjing, and the fate of Emperor Jianwen became unknown. Zhu Di assumed the throne, becoming the Ming Chengzu Emperor, adopting the reign title of Yongle, and founding the Yongle era. He is historically known as the Yongle Emperor, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
In 1416, Zhu Di ordered the construction of palaces in Beijing.
In 1420, Zhu Di issued the "Decree to Move the Capital," changing Beiping to Beijing.
In 1421, Zhu Di officially moved the capital to Beijing, naming the palace complex the Forbidden City. Ancient texts mention, "Heaven has the Purple Palace, where God resides." The imperial palace is a forbidden place, hence the name the Forbidden City.
During the construction of the Forbidden City, soil excavated from moats and ponds, such as Tubizhi River and Nanhai, was piled on the "Qingshan." The original small mound transformed into a hill, named "Wansui Mountain."
To prevent a fuel shortage due to potential sieges by remaining forces of the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty accumulated large amounts of coal on the mountain, leading to its designation as "Coal Mountain."
Over two hundred years after the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, in 1627, Zhu Youjian, the 16th emperor, ascended the throne at the age of 16, adopting the reign title of Chongzhen, becoming the Chongzhen Emperor.
By this time, the Ming Dynasty faced internal troubles, with eunuchs wielding unchecked power and frequent uprisings throughout the empire. Externally, conflicts with the Later Jin Dynasty persisted.
In April 1636, Later Jin's Taizong declared himself emperor, establishing the Great Qing, officially challenging the Ming Dynasty.
In April 1644, Li Zicheng's peasant army breached Beijing. On April 25, the 19th day of the third lunar month, Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on a crooked-neck locust tree on Coal Mountain, marking the end of the Ming Dynasty after 276 years. He is posthumously known as the Ming Sizong.
After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Sangui, stationed at Shanhaiguan, vacillated. Coincidentally, his beloved concubine Chen Yuanyuan was taken by Liu Zongmin, a subordinate of Li Zicheng. Outraged, Wu Sangui allied with the Qing army, allowing them to enter the pass.
The Forbidden City transformed into the palace of the Qing Dynasty.
The crooked-neck locust tree on which Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself became known as the "Guilty Locust," secured with iron chains.
During the Shunzhi era, Wansui Mountain was renamed "Jingshan" in 1655.
In 1928, it was converted into Jingshan Park.
In March 1930, the Palace Museum erected a monument at the "Sacrificial Site of Emperor Ming Sizong," removed in 1955, and restored in 2004.
The memorial monument for the 300th anniversary of Emperor Ming Sizong's sacrifice was jointly created by three late Qing Dynasty scholars: Fu Zengxiang wrote the text, Pan Linggao inscribed the title, and Chen Yungao issued the decree.
In May 1971, the locust tree was removed.
In 1981, a small locust tree from the south slope was transplanted to the original location to replicate the original scene.
In 1996, a hundred-year-old locust tree was moved from a residential courtyard inside Jianguomen, Dongcheng District, to replace the original tree, closely resembling the original scene.
Jingshan witnessed the demise of the Ming Dynasty, stemming from internal troubles and external threats.
When there is no internal worry and no external threat, the stability of the country is assured.