Purple Bamboo Park (紫竹院公园) is one of the seven largest parks in Beijing, It is located in the Haidian District of northwestern Beijing. The park consist of three connecting lakes covering over a total area of 48 hectares. The lakes' eastern shores consist of several small hills, and they were formed with the earth dredged from the lakes, to balance the natural hills on the western shores of the lakes. There are five bridges connecting the lakes, islands and hills into a single integrated area. To the north of the lakes the Changhe River flows through.
Typical of classical Chinese garden style, and like many of Beijing's parks and gardens, it is a mountain-water landscaped garden. Constructed around canals and large lakes, the Bamboo Park is known for its liberal use of verdant bamboo groves. The garden has a variety of bamboos on display, with the variety ranging as much as up to 50 species. There is also an art museum located within the park. The three major lakes in the park were formed in 1159. During Ming Dynasty, the Wanli Emperor built a royal garden on the bank of the lake in 1577, and the bamboo was planted following that. In 1954, the park was rebuilt and open to public.
紫竹院公园位于北京西三环内，海淀区白石桥附近，东门外是地铁9号线和4号线的国家图书馆站。古时紫竹院这里原是一片低洼的湿地，元代郭守敬在高梁河上游开挖长河时，形成蓄水湖，成为北京重要的水源之一 紫竹院公园始建于1953年，因园内西北部有明清时期庙宇，“福荫紫竹院”而得名，有蜀南竹海的竹园别致，又有兔耳岭的灵石草甸景观。全园占地47.35公顷，其中水面约占三分之一。南长河、双紫渠穿园而过，形成三湖两岛一堤一河一渠的基本格局。它是一座幽篁百出，翠竿累万，以竹造景，以竹取胜的自然式山水园。2006年7月1日起，紫竹院公园免费参观。