Yuexiu Park is one of the earliest parks of Guangzhou and is a large-scale comprehensive park. Early back to Nanyue State of Western Han, Mountain Yuexiu had been the place of interest for people at that time. In the modern times, Sun Yat-sen had brought forward to build Mountain Yuexiu a large park. His wish didn't come true at that time; Yuexiu Park was only a small park instead of a large one. After the liberation of Guangzhou, the people's government realized his fancy. Now Yuexiu Park is a park that is like in spring all the seasons with undulating hills and jade green trees, fulfilled with the thriving life and green charms of subtropical areas. Besides the kinds of historical relics and remains reserved, the newly built paths in the park extend in all directions connecting every scenic spots together.
Yuexiu Park is a park of mountains. It belongs to the ending ranges of Mountain Baiyun, stretching for 3km from the east to the west with an altitude of over 70ms. In history Mountain Yuexiu (in Chinese characters of “越秀”) was called Mountain Yuexiu (in Chinese characters of “粤秀”) or Mountain Yuewang (king of Yue). In Yongle times at Ming Dynasty, there was a Kwan-yin Temple on the mountain so the folk people call it Mountain Kwan-yin.
Yuexiu Park, connecting with Xiaobei Road at the east, linking to Yingyuan Road at the south and neighboring Huanshi Road at the north and facing North Jiefang Road at the west, can be entered through 7 gates including the front gate, the east gate, the south gate and the north gate. The park has a total area of 928,000 m2 including 7 hills of Mountain Yuexiu, Muke Hill, Changyao Hill, Liyutou Hill and Sweet Osmanthus Hill and Beixiu, Nanxiu and Dongxiu 3 artificial lakes. In the park there are pavilions, towers, lofts and water pavilions and five floor buildings and Zhongshan Monument and Five Goat Stone Statue. And there are large sports playground, natatorium and art gallery etc. This central park of the city of green trees reaching the sky has been regarded as one of the Eight Sceneries of Guangzhou from the past dynasties, for example it had the title of “Autumn Moon of Yuetai” in Yuan Dynasty, “Pine Wave of Yuexiu” in Ming Dynasty, “Tower of Zhenhai” and “Rolling Hills of Yuexiu” in Qing Dynasty and “Overlook of Yuexiu”, “Tower of Yuexiu”, “New View of Yuexiu” in modern times.
According to historical record Mountain Yuexiu is the treasure place of Guangzhou. Geographically, Guangzhou has mountains and seas, against the stretching and undulating Mountain Jiulian, the ending range of five mountains, in the north and face the mist-covered Lingding Sea in the south, Mountain Luofu at the left and Mountain Qingyun at the right as the Zhuque (southern god) and Xuanwu (god of the northern sky) surrounding and protecting and stretching to Mountain Baiyun and Mountain Yuexiu in Guangzhou, very uncommon. Seeing on the map, Mountain Baiyun and Mountain Yuexiu are like tremendous dragons, whirling above the bank of Pearl River and forming the posture of “flying dragons drink water”.
Mountain Yuexiu is a famous mountain with profound cultural inside. As early as in the Qin Dynasty, it had been the scenic spot of Guangzhou. Two thousand years ago, Zhao Tuo, who founded the first feudal dynasty in Lingnan and the King of Nanyue who rode the whirlwind of Guangzhou, had special affection to Yuexiu Mountain and feasted the officials in the mountain. And here in the mountain he hospitably welcomed the emissary Lu Jia sent by the first king of Han Dynasty Liu Bang. Science then they had set up close relationship. At last Zhao Tuo gave up his throne and submitted to Han. There is a site of Yuewangtai Terrace in Mountain Yuexiu. It is said that every March 3 of the lunar year, Zhao Tuo would came to the mountain and the officials with him would danced the Yue nationality dances so it is also called singing and dancing hill. Recent years some one said that the mysterious tomb of ZhaoTuo with many rare treasures would be probably hidden deep in Mountain Yuexiu. This gives a mysterious color for the mountain.
In Southern Han, the king Liu Chang took Yuewangtai Terrace as the travel and feast place, and planted rare trees and flowers on the sides of mountain road and called it “Hu Luan Dao” (Cheering the imperial carriage road). Golden chrysanthemum and lotus were planted along the road, the king and the officials played and feasted and drank there even didn't think about the nearing armed army of Southern Song coming from the south. The incontinent Southern Han on a false show of peace and prosperity was finally destroyed by the army of Song.
At Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty Mountain Yuexiu became the famous Guangzhou tourist scenic spot. Examples are Autumn Moon of Yuetai, Pine Wave of Yuexiu, Woodcutter Songs of Xiangshan, Rolling Hills of Yuexiu, Tower of Zhenhai and Overlook of Yuexiu, Tower of Yuexiu in the modern times. In all the past dynasties, Mountain Yuexiu had been listed as the important spot of Eight Sceneries of Guangzhou. Yuexiu Park is the model of harmonious integration of natural scenes and cultural sights and is the famous place of pleasure for Guangzhouneses.
Mountain Yuexiu is a delicate card for Guangzhou. Tourists come to Guangzhou for the first time cannot afford not going to Mountain Yuexiu. We can say without exaggeration that one has not really been to Guangzhou if not goes to Mountain Yuexiu.
Key points of interests and historical spots, folk tales, changeable historical situations and monument architectures make Mountain Yuexiu a history museum and a teaching book. However, the numerous flowers and elegant bamboos pleasing to the eyes and full of Lingnan features all over the mountain make Mountain Yuexiu the heaven of flowers: the simals in early spring, cuckoos in late spring, white yulans in April, golden balsamines and morningstar lily in May, banana shrubs and chrysanthemums in autumn, calyx canthus in cold winter and precious plants with the leading one of cycad. When you stand in the vast lawn of Nanxiu, away from the din of downtown area, taking in fresh air as much as you can, you will feel how relaxed and happy to be with nature. |
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