Jingshan Park is situated directly behind the Forbidden City and is a good place to visit after seeing the sights on Tian'anmen Square. The views of the old city and the surrounding areas from here are the best in Beijing.
The park was created in 1179 using left-over mud from the creation of a moat for the Imperial Palace. Jingshan means "Coal Hill", taken from an era when it acted as the imperial coal store. However, it is better known as the location where the last Ming Emperor, Chong Zhen, committed suicide in 1644, on a lotus tree at the eastern side of the park, as rebel troops marauded through his palaces.