The area was later converted into a park and was named the Park of Tranquility and Pleasure. Along with Yuanmingyuan and the Summer Palace, the park was twice destroyed in 1860 and in l900. The destruction was so serious that the reconstruction efforts made in the later years were never able to restore its original scale and splendour. The brilliant foliage is the main attraction. No one is sure where the sumac trees originated.
Legend has it that a south wind carried the seeds of the red-leaf trees to Beijing.
Then the seeds survived, and years passed they grew into a lovely forest. In November, the frosted leaves of the trees, along with the persimmons and maples, spread over the grant Hills like a thick red blanket.