In the flourishing downtown area of Guangzhou, there is an oasis. It is the specialty park that mainly cultivates orchids——Lanpu Park.
Lanpu Park is located at North Jiefang Road, facing the beautiful Yuexiu Park at the opposite of the road. It was constructed in 1950 with an area about 40,000 square metres. People will get rid of the noise and disturbance of city in the small world of orchids of different colors and diverse postures.
Lanpu Park is divided into east and west to areas. The east area mainly cultivates orchids. There are near 20,000 pots of orchids of 100 odd breeds. There are rare Spun Gold Horsetail Orchid, Gold-mouth Orchid, Silver-mouth Orchid, White Veins Orchid, Parrot Orchid and Big Treasure Richness Orchid as well as Song Plum Orchid. There are three orchid sheds: the first and the third sheds mainly cultivate earth-grow orchids. At the time of orchids blooming, it is full of fresh fragrance in the air with colorful and showy flowers. The second shed mainly cultivates air-grow orchids that also called foreign orchid (cattleya). They leech on to trunks, walls and trees with aromatic and few flowers. In the west area there are varied pavilions, terraces, and towers and is a good place for visitors to have a rest and drink tea.
A turning path extends to a moon gate that is decorated with an apanese banana leaf. This leaf makes people feel a strong tropical plant sceneries charm is blowing near. And this gate keeps out the front scenes arousing curiosityies of what hidden there. Oh, it is a Tongxin Hall (Same Aroma Hall) there.
Tongxin Hall got the name from the inscription of Zhu De “Orchid and Vanilla Grass have the same aroma”. It is composed of a larger hall and a smaller hall as well as a water pavilion. This hall is near the water, a good place to view the sceneries. It received many important leaders in and out of China, for example: American President Nixon, Cambodia Crown Prince Sihanouk; leaders of China Deng Xiaoping, Zhu De, Dong Biwu, Ye Jianying, Xu Xiangqian, Tao Zhu, Zhang Aiping etc. Some of them sent their own orchids to the park or made inscriptions.
The Bajiao Pavilion reposing in bamboos and trees can hold one hundred odd people. Here visitors can drink tea while enjoying the sceneries strew at random but perfectly in harmony. When the orchids bloom, the charm of “Fragrance of orchids living up the road” can be found here.
Dongshan Lake Park, located at Donghu Road Dongshan District, Guangzhou, is one of the four artificial lakes of Guangzhou.
The name Dongshan comes from a mountain in Xiaodongyuan, north of Guangzhou City at ancient times. This mountain was opposite to the Xi shan (Mountain West ) in northwest of Liuhua Lake and the Beishan (Mountain North) (Mountain Yuexiu) in the north of the city, so it got the name Dongshan (Mountain East). Dongshan Lake is called Donghu for short, corresponding to Xihu in Yaozhou.
Before 1958, it was sewage pond and vegetable field. In April 1958, at the advocating of mayor Zhu Guang, the public in Zhuguang District went to construct the park voluntarily. In 1959, the work completed and opened to the public and named Dongshan Lake Park. This park gives priority to the lake and forms the sightseeing line along the bank. Indialaurel figs are planted along north bank; rose apples, willows, bastard saffons and Chinese redbuds along middle bank. In the lake there are 4 half islands and 2 islands, linking with Nine Turn Bridge, Declining Rainbow Bridge, Arch Bridge, Five Opening Bridge and Three Turn Bridge. When spring comes and flowers bloom, it is very beautiful with the red flowers and green willows, blue waves on the lake surface and thriving trees. It was once been reviewed as one of the “Eight New Sceneries Spots of Guangzhou”.
Nine Turn Bridge is the symbolic architecture of Dongshan Lake Park, having the style of imperial garden. The roadway has twists and turns with light red handrails setting off the green water and adorning the lake into a more beautiful one. Strolling on the bridge you will encounter different scenes at every turn. Boating on the lake with breeze and dimples, you will feel relaxed and happy.
The Five Arch Bridge made of Qingma stone makes visitors feel the openness and quietness and deep of the suburbs; the charm of One Arch Bridge and Declining Rainbow Bridge can be competed to Suzhou Garden; as for the Touching Water Bridge on the green waves, it adds romance to the park. The bridges and waters, shadowy bank and green willows arouse visitors' infinite fancies. Strolling on the bridge or boating on the lake, looking into the distance the magnificent buildings along the Pearl River, viewing closely the charms of water and sky, it is surely a special amusement. It has yachts, fishing tools, dancing pool and skating rink as well as amusement park for the old and children. The park is no doubt an ideal place for entertainment for the visitors in a prosperous city. |
Asia Travel 
Articles: (
Newest publication