The water area of Shichahai is approximately 340,000 square meters, including Houhai lake and adjoining Xihai and Qianhai lakes, which are collectively known as the Back Three Lakes, and with the Front Three Lakes (Beihai, Zhonghai, Nanhai) forming the Six Lakes water system in the inner city of Beijing. Once it was the watercourse of the Yongding River, and later became a part of the Gaoliang River. Now the water comes from the Miyun Reservoir, and the water is channeled into Xihai through Beijing-Miyun Channel.
	Due to insufficient water supply, discharging of sewage, rainstorm inrush, and sullage sinkage, the ecological environment of Shichahai, which attracts numerous tourists every day, has deteriorated recently with the water quality reaching to a low Level IV (Levels I to V indicate water quality from good to bad) and frequent algal blooms, resulting in the unsuitability for fishing and swimming.

	The circumjacent area of Shichahai has many ancient temples and former residences of celebrities with rare trees hundreds of years old. The aged pagoda trees count the most. The Pagoda tree is the city tree of Beijing. Whenever people mention the scenery of the ancient capital, pagoda tree, along with wisteria and Siheyuan (courtyard house), is always the focus because of its long history in Beijing. From the Yuan Dynasty through the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the pagoda trees were planted along streets. It is sun-tolerant, drought-resistant, heat-resistant and salt-and-alkali-tolerant, very adaptable to the soil and climate of Beijing. The pagoda tree has a long lifespan with beautiful shapes. Every summer the primrose yellow blossoms strew among the green leaves, and the fragrance permeates the air. After a thunder storm, the tiny fallen petals pile up on the streets.

				Many kinds of birds inhabit around Shichahai. Most of the waterfowl take the Wild duck Island of Xihai as their home, with the mallard being the most prevalent. In the early summer ducklings can be seen frolicking on the water. Along the bank of Xihai there are also many black eyed aigrettes with red bleaks which perch on the wooden structures out of the water. Hanging on the trees or haunting in the gardens by the lake is the grey tree pie with black head, white chest and blue tail.