Shuangqing Villa (双清别墅)

As one of the 28 scenic spots of the Fragrant Mount inscribed by the Emperor Qianlong, the Shuangqing Villa is nestled on the hillside of the southern foothill of Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan Park) in Haidian District, Beijing. It was built by the civilian educator Xiong Xiling in the seventh of the Republic of China (1918). Originally, it was the “Songwu Mountain Villa” in the Jingyi Garden on Fragrant Mount, a royal garden in the Qing Dynasty. Within its elegant environment, what attract visitors are the verdant bamboo, towering ginkgo, tall and straight pine and cypress, and ancient buildings.
Shuangqing Villa now has been turned into the exhibition room of Mao Zedong (the founder of the People's Republic of China)’s activities in Shuangqing. Some monuments of the Ming Dynasty are standing in the villa, such as the stone buildings with Buddhism lection and joss. At west side in the park, a stone is carved with “Shuangqing” by Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. The living room of Mao Zedong is still preserved and displays his photos, telegraph texts and poems handwriting, and manuscripts for visit and remembrance. The small hexagonal pavilion beside the pool is the place for Mao Zedong chatting with friends and reading newspapers at his leisure.