The park is one of the largest parks in Beijing, situated on the west of Baishiqiao Bridge near Xizhimen subway station. The park's name derives from its abundance of bamboo groves.
Historical records show that before the third century, Purple Bamboo Park's three lakes had been dug reaching the upper reaches of the Gaoliang (Sorghum) River, and a famous Gaoliang Bridge stood nearby to the east. In the 13th century, the lakes of Purple Bamboo Park served as a reservoir providing much of the needed water to the growing city of Beijing. In the late Yuan Dynasty, the mathematician and astronomer Guo Shoujing built a canal along the upper reaches of the Gaoliang River with locks to regulate the water diverted from the White River Dam, the Jade Spring Mountain, and other nearby waterways. Later, however, the canal was neglected and gradually became obsolete. During the Republican period it was filled in and rented out as paddy fields. After the revolution, the People's Government transformed the fields into a new park.
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