Spoon Lake Garden

Spoon Lake Garden

Spoon Lake Garden is located in the northwest corner of Huai'an, by the ancient Grand Canal. It earned its name from the spoon-like curve of its water surface and has long been a renowned lake in the Huai region. Since the Jin dynasties, the lake and its shores have been dotted with temples and monasteries, and it was originally home to the "Ten Scenic Spots of Spoon Lake."

Spoon Lake is famous for its spoon shape, covering an area of 114 acres of water and 40 acres of land. It has been a scenic attraction in Huai'an since ancient times. It is said that since the Sui and Tang dynasties, famous temples were built here, attracting visitors and worshippers year-round. This is also where Spoon Lake Park was established. Over half a century ago, a great figure of our time left his childhood footprints here (note), and visitors often feel a surge of excitement when they think of this. As you step through the gate of the "Wentong Pagoda Garden," the first thing that greets you is the double pavilion corridor. Passing the Wentong Pagoda, you walk onto the Spoon Dyke, with rippling blue waters on your left and a white-walled, green-eaved screen wall adjacent to Huaihai Middle School campus on your right. Looking northeast from here, you can clearly see two delicate and charming arched gates in the distance, evoking a sense of wandering down a secluded path. Though not as breathtakingly picturesque as the elegantly adorned West Lake in Hangzhou, it is by no means inferior compared to other classical gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. Beyond the two arched gates, you’ll find a collection of classic, traditional Chinese structures. These buildings are laid out along the terrain and water features, offering diverse designs, soft and pleasant colors, and an air of dignity and understated elegance. On the original site of the Great Mercy Pavilion in the middle of the lake now stands a hall, while to its east lies a waterside winding corridor and a fan-shaped waterside pavilion. In the lake, there is also a stone boat with a two-story pavilion on top, from which visitors can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the entire lake. The lake’s island is connected to the shore by rainbow bridges to the north and south.

The Spoon Lake Academy, where Ming Dynasty scholar Ruan Kuisheng once lectured, has been restored in the architectural style of the Ming era. To the west, a Spring Breeze Pavilion has been added for visitors to rest. Standing by the bridge and looking around, you can see one or two pleasure boats slicing through the blue water, creating a uniquely charming scene. The lake surface, shimmering with green waves, offers delightful scenery. It is named after a batch of cherry blossom trees gifted to the hometown by former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. Every spring when flowers bloom, the area, together with the Plum Ridge to the north, bursts into vibrant bloom, competing in beauty and creating an incredibly stunning view.