Yichang, located by the Yangtze River, is a famed cultural city bearing a history of 2700 years.
Overlooking Yichang, Yangtze River winds through the city under the trees and flowers. Walk through the city, the picturesque Binjiang Park; Wuyi Square, Yiling Square, Children’s Park consist a giant “green lung” for the city, and tall buildings stand contiguously in rows with roads reach to every corner. All of these beautiful sceneries constitute a beautiful Yichang of “water in city, city in forest, and people in painting”.
Famous for her innate natural beauty, Yichang, in her fast development, attaches great importance on fusing modern elements into her natural beauty, making the city a world tourism city suitable for live, business and travel.
In recent years, Yichang has abandoned a large number of commercial real estate projects and has built 29 parks and 36 gardens in the downtown area instead, which includes the World Peace Park, Wangjiahe Park, Yichang Retreat Memorial Park, etc. Of the whole city, the green land covers a percentage of 35.78%, and the green coverage rate is 41.02%, while the per capita green area is 11 square meters. Moreover, the government has already invested 6 billion RMB to upgrade the 33 primary and secondary roads. 6 forestation lines, 102 parks and gardens and public green land make a giant “green lung” for the city.
Yichang is also celebrated as “The Capital of World Hydropower”. And her unique management system wins her many other titles, including the “National Civilized City”, “National Sanitary City”, “National Garden City”, “National Model City of Environmental Protection”, “National Forest City” and “China’s Excellent Tourism City”. ┆
★White Dragon Park
White Dragon Park is the only comprehensive ecological park with unique local topography features. It is publicly known for its spinal stair rising terrain, camphor woods of tens years old, various plants and colorful flowers.
It is located at the south mountain foot of Dongshan Mountain, which is the top scenic spot of the eight ancient landscapes in Yichang. Dongshan is named because of the ancient temple and the White Dragon Well of Tang Dynasty, while White Dragon Park is named because it is located at the very site of the ancient White Dragon Well. In 2000, the management bureau of White Dragon Park was founded.
Winding up the mountain, the park is on the extension of the Shengli Fourth Road. Forming three relative flat platforms, it covers an area of 38,300 square meters with a height of 36 meters.
People can enjoy themselves here by exercising, gazing into far distances, relaxing, enjoying the cool shades, viewing beautiful plants and dancing.┆
★Binjiang Park
Known as “The First Park by the Yangtze River”, Binjiang Park, founded in 1983, covers 10.5 kilometers long from Zhenchuan Gate to Baisha Road. It is the biggest comprehensive park in Yichang downtown area.
The park is constructed with the traditional Chinese architecture technique of using the existing natural landscapes. In Binjiang Park, one can feel the broadness and far-reachingness of Yangtze River. By highlighting the local natural landscapes, though the park is manmade, it looks like it was made by nature. Binjiang Park has preserved the historical sites in it and built a large batch of historical humanity sites.
●Zhangjiang Pavilion
According to a legend, during Kangxi emperor’s rein(1661~1722) in Qing dynasty, a monster in Yangtze River stirred up the waves of the river which sank numerous fishing boats and ruined vast amounts of crops, and people’s lives were also in danger. Therefore, the then Yiling county magistrate was scolded by the God of Shennong in his dream. Without any solutions to control the monster, the county magistrate announced to build a pavilion engraved with dragon and phoenix to frighten it. In order to quiet the river, the county magistrate offered sacrifices to the gods of river; therefore, the pavilion was named after its function. The present pavilion is an ancient-imitated construction with gorgeous eaves and delicate carvings. Standing on the pavilion, one can view the whole city of Yichang.
●The Statue of Qu Yuan
Among the green orange woods, there stands the marble statue of the most renowned Chinese patriotic poet Qu Yuan (BC 340～BC278). Born in Lepingli, Zigui County, he was the first notable great poet in Chinese literature history whose most quoted poetical lines “Although the road is endless and faraway, I still want to pursue the truth in the world” is the most important spirit that every Chinese tries to hold for a life.
●Shuangting Square
Shuangting Square locates at the crossroad of Yunji Road. On the tall lintel-styled arches, it is engraved with the title of the park “Binjiang Park” written by the famous calligrapher Shu Tong and dragon patterns, which indicates the Chu culture of decorating with animals. Standing by the Yangtze River, the two phoenix pavilions are decorated with copper tiles, green ridge and curved eaves. Shuangting Square is an important cultural and scenic spot in Yichang, and it is a perfect place for people to view the beauty of Yangtze River and to host various commemorative activities.
●Nanxie Bonsai Garden
Yichang has a long history of cultivating bonsais. Nanxie Bonsai Garden, functioning for exhibiting bonsais, was first built in 1984, and it is the largest bonsai park in three gorges area. Mingled with modern gardening and architecture techniques, the garden is constituted mainly with waterside pavilions which are connected by cloisters and flower racks. In Nanxie bonsai garden, one can feel the artistic appeal of Yichang ornamental rocks and bonsais in different shapes. And in many ancient poems, one can tell how highly the three gorges bonsais are valued.
●Peace Park: Memorial Park of Great Retreat
Yichang Peace Park is a memorial park featured with profound international culture and functioned for forestation and relaxation. In the center of the park, flowers and grassland consists the world map in the peace square. At its left side, there stand three unique Three Gorge ornament stones symbolizing different Chinese philosophies, and they also successful displayed the unique natural landscape of Three Gorges area. Between the square and the main road, there are “Trees of Peace and Friendship” planted by Yichang political leaders and the participants who were here participating the third annual Asian peace meeting, including 18 national Speakers, Princess of Thailand, Prime Minister of Cambodia and other foreign friends.
Next to the Peace Park, there is the Retreat Memorial Park. Shaped as ship and great wall, the main statue is constructed with numbers and iron anchors. The statue indicates the memorable historical event of great retreat in October and November of 1938 during the anti-Japanese war. The park opens up a door to history, culture and knowledge, and it is also an ideal classroom for cultivating people with history, purifying people’s spirit and teaching patriotic spirit. ┆
●Tianran Pagoda
It is noted that the Tianran pagoda was first built by Guo Pu in Jin dynasty (AD 26 5～AD316), and it was rebuilt during Qianlong emperor’s rein (1792) in Qing dynasty (AD1636～AD1911). Constructed with bricks and stones, it is 42 meters high, eight-sided with seven stories. And on the octagon pedestal, there engraved with eight Buddhist guardian warriors. And on both sides of the pagoda, trees, lawns and shrubs are connected to be an organic unity by a boulevard and several winding paths.┆
●The Rouge Park
The Rouge Park and The Rouge Dam are located face to face across the river. According to a legend, the rouge dam is named because of the stunning beauty Wang Zhaojun in Han dynasty. Aiming to commemorate the beauty, Yichang government allocated funds to build this scenic spot and named it Rouge Park. Along the side of the river, there is a large “mullet” square, and in the center of the square, there lays a ground stone of “mullet”.┆
●Osmanthus Garden
Around the center of Osmanthus Garden, there stand three large Three Gorges ornamental stones, which create a strong local feature of Yichang culture. In Osmanthus Garden, about 4 kinds of 38 famous large sweet-scented osmanthus trees are dotted around.
Binjiang Park is also in charges of some other scenic spots like Nanhu Park. And the park can both clearly reflect the historical development of Yichang’s park and show the modern harmonious civilization of Yichang as well as her increasing life quality of Yichang citizens.┆
★Yiling Square
Yiling square situates at the downtown of Yichang. It is named after the ancient name of Yichang—Yiling. In Chinese, “Yi” means being flat and calm, while “Ling” means hills. Because it is noted that in Yichang the disturbing Yangtze River becomes calm, and the sharp mountains change to be hills.
With its vastness, beauty and elegance, the square shows its liveliness with the vast evergreen grass land in all year around and conveys her elegance with continuous grass fragrance in both day and night. When the fountains are on, the water dances to the changing music, which reinforces the beauty of the square.
Since it has been opened to the public, Yiling square has embraced more than 3.6 million visitors per year with her fantastic beauty. It has been honored as the “Living Room” of Yichang, the “City Card” and also “Home of Yichang Citizens”. Successively, it has been inspected by Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao, ex-prime minister Li Peng, ex-chief executive officer of Marco district He Houhua, and it has been reported by more than 10 TV stations like CCTV and news press like People’s Daily.
In 12years, Yiling Square has been honored as the “Most Civilized Unit” by Hubei Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government for six times successively. And it has won more than 120 honorary titles from national wide to local scales. Yiling Square has become a symbol of Yichang to show her development in economy, culture, tourism, etc. ┆
★Wuyi Square: the East Gate of Yichang
Wuyi Square is the earliest square in Yichang, and it covers an area of 48.5 thousand square meters, with a green coverage of 25.5 thousand square meters. The name of the square was written by the NPC chairman Peng Zhen.
The music fountain on the center platform makes a perfect harmonious painting with the colorful night lighting, evergreen lawn, shrubs, flowers and exercising citizens.
Wuyi Square is an important public place for public recreation and entertainment. With the rapid development of Yichang, Wuyi Square is becoming more and more famous. And the annual reception of leaders of all levels and domestic and foreign tourists here is increasing year after year. Every year, it embraces more than 3 million visitors and hosts more than 40 large scale activities of entertainment, publicity and other public welfares. Moreover, it has been successively honored as “Provincial Civilized Unit” and many other titles.┆
★The Front Square of Yichang East Railway Station
The Front Square of Yichang East Railway Station is located at the east entrance of Yichang city, and it is known as the entrance garden of the city. Being an important traffic center of Yichang, it is also a door and a city card for the rest world to know this world hydropower city.
In order to meet the traffic needs after the completion of Yichang-Wanzhou Railway, accelerate the steps of developing Yichang a provincial deputy center city, and build it a center city in the southwest ecological cultural tourism circle and a center of logistics in Three Gorges area, Yichang government has constructed the square and supporting facilities. The whole project covers an area of 62.4 thousand square meters, and its total investment is about 200 million RMB. The construction mainly includes seven projects of drainage, roads, traffic, pipelines, bridges, landscapes and supporting projects. The whole project was started on June 10th, 2009 and was completed on May 1st, 2010. And it came into service at the end of 2010.
Passengers at Yichang East Railway Station can be numbered to 6000 per hour at its peak, and the construction of the Front Square has successfully shouldered the traffic pressure there. There are six functional areas, including pedestrian distributing area, store the storage area, bus parking area, social vehicle parking area, taxi parking area, the provisional ticket area. And the supporting facilities include 2 underground passages, 2 elevated bridges and 5 roads in the square.┆
★Children\'s Park
Originally called Xiling Park, Children’s Park (1986) was built in 1956. Its name was calligraphied by the then national political association president Deng Yinchao personally. In 1997, it was ranked as one of Chinese top 100 hundred parks by Chinese Ministry of Construction.
Covering an area of more than 140 thousand square meters, the park is located in the center of the city. Known as the “lung of the city”, it is one of the earliest public green spaces that are permanently protected in Yichang.
Children’s Park is a public park functioning for science teaching, exercise, leisure and entertainment. The park is coved with trees, grass and flowers. More than 200 species of plants covered 85% of the park. A zoo in the park covers an area of 12 thousand square meters. With more than 200 animals of 30 species, it is functioned as an educational base of animal feeding, breeding, ex-situ conservation.
During 1990s, the park started to increase recreational facilities. Until now, there are more than 70 species recreation facilities, including a Ferris wheel, bumper cars and a skating rink, which are suitable for different ages. Among them, the “Underground Great Wall” was appointed as an education base of national defense for adolescents by the city government.
Since it has been opened to the public freely in March, 2001, the number of tourists is more than a million per year. At present, the Children’s Park has become an important spot for exercise, leisure, children’s entertainment, science learning and education, and it plays an increasingly important role in perfecting the city of Yichang.┆
★Wangjianghe Park
Yichang city management bureau is in charge of five parks, including Wangjiahe Park, Qiaotou park, Heyi park, Baotahe park, Wanshouyuan park.
All these five parks, with a total area of 100 thousand square meters, are located in Wujiagang district of Yichang. They are all modern parks for amusement, exercise and nature enjoying. With successive construction and investment in recent years, the environment of these parks has been bettered constantly, and they have developed into relatively big comprehensive parks which are all opened to the citizens freely.
Wangjiahe Park takes the local plants as its principal greengage, which fuses a natural unity with the lawn. In recent years, the government has built more than 1200 square meters of primary and secondary park roads, and more waterscapes, entrance plaza, flower racks and ornamental stones are added to enrich the beauty of the park.
Covering 49,000 square meters, Qiaotou Park is embraced by Aijiazui Road, Yiling Avenue and Yanjiang Avenue. Baotahe Park locates at Zhongnan Road. Dotted with ornamental stones, it makes plants as its main scenes. In the park, one can find trees of ginkgo, camphor, osmanthus, cedar, red maple, etc. In the western part, the park takes Ginkgo woods, rockery, bamboo groves as its main views, and in the eastern part, with stone tables and stools dotted in, it is a leisure zone covered in woods.
Wanshouyuan Park is located in Wanshou bridge area. It is the first trouble-free exemplary garden which was built strictly in accordance with Chinese national constructing standards. In order to make the disabled friends experience the nature better, the park specifically cultivated trees of osmanthus, loquat, crape myrtle, cherry and offered ancient fossils of sinoceras stones, chrysanthemum stones for them to touch. The park has built 100 square meters of blind passageways and ramps, and 8 braille touch screens, a voice prompt system and a toilet for handicapped used only, and there are also parking sites for disabled. All of these facilities have offered great leisure environment to the general public and the disabled friends.┆
★Luluo Botanical Park
Luluo Botanical Park, with an area of 43,000 square kilometers, is located at the conjunction area of Luluo Road and Tiyuchang (stadium) Road. The park is full of trees, grass and flowers, which may make one feel like living in a forest city of quietness and mystery. It holds more than 10 thousand ornamental plants of 200 species, and the vast majority is native species. The park also has some rare plants like dove trees and ginkgos, which are all under state protection. And 90 percent of the whole park is covered with green plants.