Hutai Park

Hutai Park

Hutai Park is a supporting project of the Hutai New Village, located in the eastern part of Putuo District at No. 37 Xincun Road. It was designed by the Shanghai Landscape Architecture Design Institute, started construction in December 1988, and opened to the public on May 1, 1988, covering an area of 1.47 hectares.

The site was originally farmland, with the old Henggang River and ponds to the west. In the early 1980s, according to urban planning, it was listed as one of the supporting projects for the Hutai New Village, with a total investment of 1.79 million yuan (including land acquisition costs).

The architectural style and layout of the park are distinctly different from traditional Chinese classical gardens. It features a cluster of square-top umbrella pavilions, over ten broken columns, a wall-mounted wisteria trellis, whimsical sculptures, and Western-style murals. These elements showcase bright colors, smooth lines, lightness, simplicity, and a lively overall composition with dynamic facades and staggered vertical lines. This harmonizes with the high-rise buildings across the street, presenting a novel layout approach full of contemporary flair. It represents a meaningful blend of Chinese and Western design, creating a unique style in Chinese landscape architecture that offers distinctive viewing pleasure.

Its main scenic area is a square dominated by seven square-top umbrella pavilions. The square is surrounded on three sides by a shallow, flat pool with crystal-clear water. Ten irregular, fragmented pillars known as the "Beauty of Imperfection" are scattered throughout the space. Several stone-like benches are arranged along the pool, offering visitors an open, clean view. The Western-inspired structures are understated and simple. In the distance, shrubs planted along the walls serve to block noise and dust, complementing the low shrubs, flower clusters, and flower stands to the north, creating a richly atmospheric scene.

Other smaller scenes include a Western-style mural at the entrance depicting the "Four Seasons" — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Nearby, there is a rockery feature made of three stone bamboo shoots. Inside the park, there is a stainless steel sculpture titled "Childhood Fun" and an eight-panel open-air pavilion functioning as a wisteria trellis. The designs are innovative and uniquely styled.

The park is home to over 70 species of plants, including Chinese tulip trees, silk trees, metasequoia, privet, camphor trees, weeping crabapple, red-leaf plum, and azaleas.

The park has become a popular spot for nearby residents to relax and have fun. Since January 1994, Hutai Park has been a free-admission park.