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Why is Bei Hai Park known for its White Pagoda and lakes?

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Map of eastern Asia highlighting China and its neighboring countries, with an arrow pointing to Beijing Municipality in northeastern China. The map includes international boundaries, disputed borders, and lines of control, and shows major surrounding countries such as Russia, Mongolia, India, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. An inset at the bottom left shows the location of China within Asia. — Beijing Beijing city and municipality, China.

Bei Hai Park is a historic site in Beijing that has served as a pleasure ground for eight centuries. Its landscape is defined by the following features:1

Lakes: The park covers approximately 170 acres, half of which consists of water. The central focus is Bei Hai, the northernmost of three lakes that run north-south along the western side of the Imperial City. Over the centuries, these lakes were dredged and deepened, with the excavated earth used to create islands and hillocks of great beauty.1
White Pagoda: This structure is the park's most striking landmark. It was built in 1651 by a Qing emperor and is situated atop a hill within the park.1

Today, the park remains a popular recreational area, serving as a destination for rowboating in the summer and transforming into a natural ice-skating rink during the winter.1