Beijing Botanical Garden

China, China

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The Beijing Botanical Garden, now officially renamed China National Botanical Garden, is the largest botanical garden in North China, located 24 kilometers (15 miles) from downtown Beijing in Haidian District at the foot of the Western Hills, nestled between Fragrant Hill Park and Jade Spring Hill.

The project began in 1956 with a planned coverage of 4 million square meters (nearly 1,000 acres), and today the open area spans about 500 acres (2 million square meters), cultivating approximately 1.5 million plants of 10,000 different kinds including lilacs, Chinese roses, flowering peaches, peonies, maple trees, basswoods, and ginkgo.

The garden now comprises two sections—the South Garden (home to the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the North Garden (the original Beijing Botanical Garden)—with about 300 hectares open to the public and 15,000 plant species in total, making it the country's premier national botanical garden approved by the State Council on December 28, 2021, and jointly built by multiple national agencies.

It features diverse areas including plant exhibition zones, scenic spots, historical resorts, scientific research facilities, and nature reserves, with historical attractions like the Cao Xueqin Memorial (commemorating the author of "Dream of the Red Chamber"), Wofo Temple, a greenhouse conservatory, and a bonsai garden hidden among the rare trees and stunning flowers.