Nanhaizi Park 南海子公园

About Nanhaizi Park

Milu Yuan gives the area its close association with Père David’s deer, while reed beds and open water provide a broader birdwatching setting. Nanyou Qiufeng and Wangyuan Pavilion connect the present park with its older landscape identity. Plan a route that combines the deer-conservation area with a waterside section, checking the sanctuary’s own access separately. Wildlife sightings vary, so the wetland landscape remains the foundation of the visit even when animals are not close to the viewing areas.

Nanhaizi Park takes its name from lying within Nanyuan (南苑), the Ming and Qing imperial garden known in the Ming as Nanhaizi. After the People's Liberation Army entered the area in December 1948, and following the State Council's 1958 decision to return Daxing County to Beijing from Hebei, Nanyuan was divided among three districts: its southern farmland and several townships went to Daxing, its northern part to Fengtai, and Xiaohongmen in the northeast to Chaoyang. On 24 August 1985, the first twenty-two Milu deer (麋鹿) were returned from Wubangsi Zhuangyuan (乌邦寺庄园) in England to their original habitat at what became the Nanhaizi Milu Yuan (南海子麋鹿苑).

The park lies along the southern extension of Beijing's central axis, within a planned area bounded by the Liangshui River (凉水河) to the east, National Highway 104 to the west, the South Fifth Ring Road to the north and Huangyi Road to the south, covering 8.01 square kilometers of which 240 hectares is wetland. Construction of the Sanhaizi Suburban Park (三海子郊野公园) began on 16 January 2010, and the first phase, covering 159.64 hectares in the southeastern part of the planning area with five scenic areas and sixteen scenic spots, opened to the public on 26 September 2010.

What to look for

• Milu Yuan setting: learn about Père David’s deer and their connection with the former imperial grounds.
• Wetlands and lake margins: look for the transition between reed beds, open water, and woodland.
• Wangyuan Pavilion: use the viewpoint to read the wider wetland landscape.

Location & getting there

Getting to Nanhaizi Park

The municipal guide identifies the North Gate or South Gate parking lots as driving destinations. Its deer-focused route begins from the North Gate, crosses the stone bridge, and follows the reed boardwalk toward Milu Yuan.

• The deer sanctuary has its own closure arrangements, so check it separately from the wider park before planning the visit around it.