Yuetan Garden

Yuetan Garden is located in the south of Nanlishi Road, West City District, Beijing, south of Yuetan North Street. Formerly known as "Xiyuetan", Yuetan was one of the five altars of Beijing. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1530) and is the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties sacrifice the moon.

Yuetan Garden covers an area of 8.12 hectares and is divided into two parts, South Garden and North Garden. The North Garden is characterized by the ancient buildings and regular roads of red bricks and green roof tiles. The South Garden is a natural landscape garden with a rock pool and a winding road.

The North Garden of Yuetan is one floor. The surface of altar was made of white glazed tiles in the Ming Dynasty Emperor Jiajing time.  And the altars of the Qing Emperor Qianlong were rebuilt with golden bricks. The north and west gates are saddle roof covered by green glazed roof tiles. The south and west halls are suspension roof with green glazed roof tiles. The yellow glazed roof tiles gazebo is conical roof which located in the four corners. The two floors clock tower is saddle roof with green glazed roof tiles. The eaves are painted tangent circle pattern.

Nanyuan is also known as "Invitation Moon Garden" or "Yu Gong Yuan". A group of small parks are built in the middle, consisting of 5 paintings north houses and the veranda and flower wall. In addition, there are also a large 200-meter-long wall inscription in the garden, which is a moon poem written by modern calligraphers and historical scholars. In the northeast corner of the South Garden, there is a hill full of pines and cypresses. There is a wide open pavilion on the top for people to climb and enjoy the cool in the summer.