Xi'an's oldest park

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang appointed his second son Zhu Shuang as the Prince of Qin, who was stationed in Xi'an. Zhu Shuang was a playboy, so in order to provide him with food, drink, and entertainment, in the 11th year of the Hongwu period (1378), he ordered a pond to be dug and a canal to be built in the low-lying area of the ruins of the Tang Dynasty Chang'an City "Chengtian Gate" to introduce water from the Tongji Canal and build a royal garden. A large number of lotus flowers were planted in the garden, and it was named "Lotus Pond." According to the "General History of Shaanxi: Ancient Sites," "The Prince of Qin built this place as a place for banquets, with terraces, ponds, and flower pavilions, and only distinguished guests and poets could visit and enjoy it." It can be seen that the Lotus Pond was actually a place for officials and nobles to have fun, which is what we now call a park. In the 7th year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1668), due to the siltation of the canal, the Lotus Pond gradually dried up and was abandoned. Jia Fuhan, the governor of Shaanxi, presided over the dredging of the Lotus Pond, and released koi fish and planted lotus flowers in the pond. Temples such as Yuanqing Temple and Dalianhua Temple were also built beside the pond, so it was renamed "Fangsheng Pond." In 1916, the local government rebuilt and expanded the "Fangsheng Pond" into a place for the public to rest, and renamed it "Lianhu Park." After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Xi'an Municipal Government rebuilt Lianhu Park many times. Today's Lianhu Park is a park with a rich historical and cultural heritage. The north gate of the park is still in the traditional architectural style, simple and elegant. The water surface in the park is divided into two areas, north and south. The north lake is planted with lotus flowers, while the south lake is suitable for boating. Every weekend, couples come to the park to go boating. In addition to the beautiful natural scenery, Lianhu Park also contains rich historical and cultural resources. For example, during the War of Resistance Against Japan, German forestry expert Dr. Finzel worked in China and was buried in Lianhu Park after his death in 1936. In 1945, to commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the park specially built a memorial tower for soldiers who died in the war. Therefore, Lianhu Park is not only a good place for citizens and tourists to relax, but also an important window for tourists to learn about the history and culture of Xi'an. If calculated from the time when Zhu Shuang built the Lotus Pond, Lianhu Park has a history of nearly 700 years, making it the oldest park in Xi'an. Lianhu Park is located on the south side of Lianhu Road inside Yuxiang Gate, and many buses can take you directly there. The transportation is very convenient, and there is no entrance fee.