Xigang Park

Xigang Park

Xigang Park

Xigang Park is located on a hill at the western end of Dazhijie (Big Cross Street) in Hulan District. It was initiated in 1916 (the 5th year of the Republic of China) by Zhong Yu, the then county magistrate, and covers an area of

10.4 hectares. The park is enclosed by wooden fences and has four gates facing east, west, south, and north. The eastern gate faces Xidajie (West Street), with a wooden bridge built in front of it. Inside the park, trees and flowers are planted, along with structures such as a flower conservatory, a clubhouse, Jingyi Teahouse, Kangle Pavilion, Music Pavilion, and Kegeng Pavilion. The initial construction was completed in early 1918, and it was named Xigang Park after the locality. A plaque inscribed with “Xigang Park” hangs on the front of the main gate, while one inscribed with “Luxuriant Grass and Tall Trees” hangs on the back.

Zhong Yu’s “Record of Xigang Park” is engraved in the park and has been passed down through generations. In 1927, Lu Kezun, the then county magistrate, oversaw the construction of the park office, Siwang Pavilion, and Bin Feng Pavilion. In 1928, Shi Qingshan, the military governor of Suihai, built the Zhaogong Shrine in the park. The park also houses steles commemorating the virtuous governance of figures such as Wu Junsheng, Shi Deshan, Ma Zhanshan, Liao Feipeng, and Wang Yukuo, as well as a stele dedicated to the chastity of the Gao family. In front of the clubhouse, two ancient stone tomb figures unearthed from the Shiren Ancient City are displayed. During the period of Northeast China’s occupation, several

animals were kept in the park. The Japanese puppet authorities also constructed monuments related to their war of aggression against China, including the Yingling Tower and a Shinto shrine. Due to the changes brought by historical upheavals, only the Siwang Pavilion, flower conservatory, Zhaogong Shrine, the base of the Yingling Tower, and several damaged steles remain today. After the liberation, a martyrs’ tomb for Li Zhenhua was also built in the park.

After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, between 1958 and the construction of a water channel, a channel was dug from north to south across the park, with a wooden bridge built over it. The excavated soil was piled up to form an artificial hill, and in the 1960s, a small pavilion from the Lijiagarden was moved onto this hill. In 1971, a plot of land north of the eastern gate was allocated for the construction of a water tower. The current area of the park is now 9.7 hectares. Since 1978, children’s play facilities such as swings, slides, and iron ladders have been installed in the park.

Address: Hill at the western end of Dazhijie (Big Cross Street), Hulan District