Written by Ruqin
June 22, 2026
June 21st, early morning. I took the first trains on Line 7 and came out at Guangqumen Station. From there, I biked through quiet streets to the north gate of Longtan Lake Park. It was just past six when I arrived. The gate was already open, and people were slowly filtering in for the morning walk at Longtan Lake Park. The entry ticket is two yuan, while seniors enter for free.
The Northern Entrance to Longtan Lake Park
Stepping inside, the air felt slightly damp in the way Beijing mornings often do in summer—soft, heavy, still cool. The park unfolds around Longtan Lake, with dense tree cover, pavilions, and corridors linking islands and peninsulas. The Moon Bridge and covered walkways stitch the water and paths together, guiding you deeper without much effort.
1. The 1km Lakeside Loop Walking Path
Longtan Lake Park has more than one entrance, including the north, east, and west gates. I entered through the north gate and turned left, heading east to start the lakeside loop.
The moon bridge reflected in still water, with willows lightly touching the lake’s surface.
In the early morning, this path is mostly used by people jogging or walking at a steady pace. The lotus ponds are mainly located along the southern side of the lake, so I kept following the loop southward as it curved around the water.
People jogging or walking at a steady pace along the loop path
It’s the Dragon Boat Festival holiday period, so the park is still quite lively even in the early hours—though I imagine many people have already left Beijing for short trips.
Along the main walkway, I also saw locals using outdoor fitness equipment: pull-up bars, parallel bars, and simple strength stations placed under the trees.
Locals using outdoor fitness equipment
Further along, a few large white geese were slowly wandering toward a couple sitting by the path. The couple was feeding them vegetable leaves, and it felt like a familiar routine rather than a one-off encounter. The birds weren’t rushed at all—they moved with the same ease as the people around them.
a few large white geese were slowly wandering
There was laughter here and there, carried lightly through the trees. The park never felt noisy, but it wasn’t quiet either. It had a steady kind of life to it—active, open, and unhurried.
2. The Narrow Shoreline Path Along Longtan Lake
After leaving the main loop, I took a narrower path that runs much closer to the water. The rhythm changes immediately here—it feels quieter, more local, less structured than the main walkway.
I noticed a few anglers spaced out along the edge
I noticed a few anglers spaced out along the edge. Their lines stretch far into the lake, almost disappearing into the surface. They sit still for long stretches, watching without much movement. It’s not an active kind of waiting; it feels more like they’ve settled into the pace of the water itself.
A white-haired man fishing quietly by the lakeshore
Further along, I came across a duck family moving slowly along the shoreline. The mother duck led the way, with several ducklings staying close behind her, occasionally stopping to pick at something near the edge. The whole group moved as one soft line along the water. Scenes like this feel more common in Beijing now than they used to be—small signs of how the lake ecology has quietly recovered over the years.
I came across a duck family moving slowly along the shoreline.
The path itself curves gently with the shoreline. On one side, the lake stays open and reflective; on the other, willow branches hang low enough to touch the surface, trailing small movements across the water whenever the wind passes. Everything here is green in layers—deep green water, pale green leaves, darker shadows under the trees.
I slowed down without really deciding to. Mornings like this make it easy to stay in one place a little longer than planned.
3. The Lotus Flower Ponds at Longtan Lake Park
Following the lakeside path southward, the scene gradually opens into the lotus ponds. They don’t sit in one single area but are broken into several sections along the southern edge of the lake, separated by bridges and low traditional structures that frame the water in a quiet rhythm.
The largest lotus pond in the south-east corner of Longtan Lake Park
By mid-June, the lotus here is clearly in its peak phase. I would say most of lotus flower are already open. From a distance, the surface of the water is almost fully covered in layered green leaves, overlapping like soft waves that don’t move much unless the wind passes through.
The lotus flowers appear in small clusters between the leaves. Some are fully open now, pale pink against the green, holding still in the morning light. Others are still in bud—thicker, heavier, not yet released. I tend to slow down here more than I expect, just watching the difference between what has opened and what is still holding back.
A stone boat rests quietly near the southern edge of the pond.
A stone boat sits quietly near one corner of the pond, almost half-hidden by lotus leaves. It doesn’t stand out at first; it feels more like something that belongs to the water than something placed on it. Across the ponds, the reeds in the Lotus Island area move slightly with the wind, softer and looser compared to the structured lines of the lotus leaves.
The Longyin Pavilion
Further along, traditional buildings appear one by one—pavilions with upturned eaves, a raised bridge, and long corridor-like structures that stretch along the edge of the lake. They don’t dominate the scene. Instead, they sit inside it, like fixed points the water moves around.
4. Waterfowl at Longtan Lake
Shifting my attention away from the lotus ponds, the lake surface suddenly feels more active. There are many waterbirds here, moving in and out of the reflections and reeds.
The mallard (绿头鸭).
The most common presence is the mallard (绿头鸭). They are the regular residents of this lake—seen all year round—gliding slowly across the water or resting near the edges without much urgency.
Eurasian coot 白骨顶鸡
Among them, I also notice the Eurasian coot. Their dark grey-black bodies make them easy to miss at first glance, but the white patch on their forehead stands out sharply when they turn. That contrast is the key detail. From a distance, it looks like a small white mark sitting right above the beak.
Eurasian coot in Longtan Lake
I watch one of them suddenly dip its head underwater, fully submerging to forage. When it comes back up, the surface ripples spread outward in soft circles. It feels very direct—no pause, just dive and go. These birds are often seen in Beijing’s urban lakes and are part of the regular water ecology here.
Grey heron 苍鹭
A grey heron stands farther out along the tires in the lake. It barely moves. Tall, still, and slightly withdrawn, it holds its shape like a fixed point in the landscape. The long neck curves gently in an S-shape, and it keeps its focus locked on the water below.
The Grey heron 苍鹭
I’ve seen this posture many times in Beijing wetlands—completely motionless until the exact moment it decides to act. Even then, the stillness seems to return immediately after.
Cormorant
Occasionally, a cormorant passes through the scene, cutting across the water in a low, steady flight. It moves with a different rhythm—more linear, more direct—before disappearing beyond the trees.
A cormorant stands on a narrow post in the water at Longtan Lake, head raised in a sharp, alert posture.
Every now and then, an unidentified waterbird skims just above the surface, its wing tips touching the water lightly and leaving behind a thin line of ripples that break quickly and fade.
5. Practical Guide to Longtan Lake Park
How to get there
Longtan Lake Park is located at No. 8 Longtan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It’s fairly easy to reach by subway.
The most convenient option is Line 5 to Tiantan Dongmen Station. Exit from Gate C and walk about 15 minutes to the park. Another option is Line 7 to Guangqumen Nei Station, followed by a short walk or bike ride.
You can also use Line 14 to Fangzhuang Station, then walk roughly 15–20 minutes. Several buses also stop at “Longtan Park,” including routes 6, 8, and 12.
Tickets
Entry is 2 RMB per person. A seasonal pass is 5 RMB. Visitors aged 60 and above can enter for free with valid ID.
Opening hours (summer)
The park is generally open from 06:00 to 22:00 in summer. Last entry is usually around 21:30. It’s best to leave a little earlier if you want a relaxed exit.
From morning exercises along the paths, to the lotus ponds opening under early light, to birds moving across the water and traditional buildings sitting quietly along the shore, Morning walk around Longtan Lake Park gathers everyday life and seasonal beauty into one space without forcing anything together.
China Zun Tower rises in the distance beyond Longtan Lake Park.
I stayed until close to nine. By then, the park was already shifting—more people arriving, the light getting stronger, the morning feeling less soft than when I first entered. I left slowly with the flow of people at the gate.
What remains is not a single view, but the rhythm of the morning itself—the water, the movement, and the quiet continuity of summer in Beijing.
About the Author
Ruqin is the founder of Ruqintravel.com and has decades of experience in China’s travel industry. Drawing on hands-on work across major destinations throughout the country, he personally researches and updates each guide to help international travelers explore China with confidence.
Further Reading
Temple of Heaven Morning Walk to Longtan Lake Morning Market
Beijing City Walks: Routes, Maps & Essential Travel Tips
Beijing Hutong Walks: Routes, Maps & Local Tips
Beijing Second Ring Road Moat Greenway Walk | Beijing Photo Walk by Ruqin
Beijing Ming City Wall Relics Park Morning Walk | Beijing Photo Walks by Ruqin
