Milu Park

Located on the site of the Southern Marshes (Nan Haizi) where Yuan, Ming, and Qing emperors would hunt deer, rabbit, and pheasant, and practice military exercises, this ecological research center is the most humane place to view animals in Beijing. The main attraction is Pere David's deer (milu), a strange deer-like creature that became extinct in China toward the end of the Qing dynasty.

The milu you see today are the descendants of 18 animals that were collected in 1898 by the far-sighted Lord Bedford from zoos around Europe. In 1985, a group of 20 milu was reintroduced to China; they now number about 200, and over 400 animals have returned to the wild.

The expansive grounds also house other endangered animals, a maze, plots of land where members can grow vegetables without pesticides (a revelation to most locals), and the chillingly effective World Extinct Wildlife Cemetery, which illustrates the plight of endangered species.