West Mountain is the general term for the western mountainous area of Yanjing, part of the Taihang Mountains, bordered to the north by Guan Gully near Nankou, extending south to the Juma River valley in Fangshan District, stretching west to the city boundary, and east overlooking the Yanjing Plain.
In ancient times, numerous emperors, princes, and courtiers, as well as civil and military officials, coveted this treasured land in the northwest suburbs of Yanjing for its scenic beauty and competed to construct grand Royal Gardens and private villas.
The first to build Royal Gardens and palaces here were the emperors of the Jin Dynasty, among whom Emperor Jin Zhangzong, who was most fond of hunting, famously ordered the construction of the "Eight Great Water Courts".
