Next to the Imperial Palace in Beijing (Forbidden City) there are three lakes: Beihai (North Lake), Zhonghai (Central Lake), and Nanhai (South Lake).
Beihai Park covers an area of 70 hectares and the lake covers half of the area. Built in the 10th century, the imperial palace Guanghan was located on Jade Islet, and island in the lake. The first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Kublai Khan, redesigned and rebuilt the park. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties the park was expanded with pavilions and galleries. The White Dagoda was built in 1651 on the site of the former imperial palace.