Sightseeing list to ease pressure on Fragrant Hills Park

The Beijing government released a list of places for sightseers to admire autumn leaves on Sunday to relieve pressure on Fragrant Hills Park, which is known for its red maple leaves.

The park — in the city's western outskirts — ranks among the four best scenic spots in China for autumn leaves, along with Qixia Mountain in Nanjing and Tianping Mountain in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, Hunan province.

The leaves in Fragrant Hills Park turn red in late September and attract visitors until early November. The sight has inspired poets and writers since the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), and it still draws tens of thousands of tourists each year.

The government list suggests 20 alternative scenic spots, including the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven Park, Beijing Zoo, Beijing Botanical Garden, Taoranting Park, Yuyuantan Park, Zizhuyuan Park, Zhongshan Park, Jingshan Park, the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, and Beihai Park.