The Old Yellow River Park

The Old Yellow River Park

The Old Yellow River Park is a masterpiece of the people of Xuzhou in transforming the Old Yellow River, and it stands as a source of pride for the city’s residents. Stretching across the ancient city, the park spans 7 kilometers in length, with a green area covering 157.6 acres, making it a large-scale open public green space. Xuzhou, situated at the lower reaches of the Yi, Shu, and Si rivers, has historically been plagued by the violent Yellow River, which brought countless heavy disasters to the people along its banks, and the residents of Xuzhou suffered greatly from these water-related calamities.

In 1875 AD, the Yellow River left behind an old course in Xuzhou. Due to the elevated riverbed of the old course, broken embankments, and silted channels, during flood seasons the water level of the Old Yellow River would rise 3 to 7 meters above the ground, posing a serious threat to the property and safety of urban residents. In response, the people of Xuzhou engaged in countless arduous struggles. These efforts left behind the legendary flood control achievements and stories of Song Dynasty Prefect Su Shi and Ming Dynasty River Management Chief Pan Jixun, who protected the city from the rampaging waters.

But in the old society, with its limited productive capacity, completely eliminating the Yellow River’s menace could only be hoped for through beliefs such as the “miraculous intervention of the Goddess Su” or the “iron oxes subduing the waters.” The Old Yellow River remained like a massive suspended water bag, looming over the heads of Xuzhou’s people for thousands of years, threatening disaster at any moment.

Without eliminating the flood threat, there could be no peace. Since the liberation, the Xuzhou Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, adhering to the principle of “the city is built by the people, and the city is built for the people,” have carried out large-scale renovations of the riverbed. By the late 1950s, the flood threat had been largely brought under control. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Municipal People's Government was determined to comprehensively manage the Old Yellow River at its root, transforming the flood threat into a water resource. On one hand, they dredged, widened, and reinforced the embankments of the river channel, and constructed stone barriers to hold back the water. On the other hand, they built roads and bridges, and extensively planted flowers, grass, and trees along the riverbanks to promote greening, thus launching a new comprehensive management project for the Yellow River. After more than ten years of construction, a lush, evergreen, scenic belt park—connected by attractions and offering pleasant views—was presented to the citizens.

The Old Yellow River Park stretches from Hequn Bridge in the north to Jizui Dam in the south, traversing nine major bridges within the urban area including Qingyun, Jizhong, and Heping, as well as seven main city roads such as Zhongshan, Huaihai, and Jianguo. It extends 6,313 meters in length and is 20 meters wide, featuring 166 flower stands, 90,225 trees and shrubs of over 50 species, over 8,000 meters of walking paths, and a green area of 157.6 acres. The forested belt covers 43 acres, with over 30 acres of flowers and grass seeded annually. What was once the old course of the Yellow River has now transformed into a green jade-like ribbon, winding around the city alongside clear blue waters, becoming an important scenic and tourist belt of Xuzhou.