Li Lake Bopu Island Ecological Park

Li Lake Bopu Island Ecological Park

Bopu Island Ecological Park is located on the south side of Daruan Bridge along Huanhu Road, bordering Yuantouzhu Park. It was constructed by enclosing the area east of the original Dushan Dam as part of the lake restoration project. To the west, it faces Guanshan Mountain, and to the south, it stands opposite Chongshan Mountain. Covering an area of approximately 37 hectares, the park stretches about 1,700 meters from north to south. Dutou Road runs through the island from north to south, connecting to Lianghu Road via Bopu Bridge in the north and to Yuantouzhu via Dutou Bridge in the south. Bopu Island Ecological Park integrates hydraulic engineering, natural scenery, and cultural landscapes. It is another free-theme park along the 38-kilometer lakeside scenic belt of Li Lake, following Li Lake Park, and is named in honor of the water management pioneer Zhang Bo. The island features a pump station with a capacity of 50 cubic meters per second, four control gates each with a net width of 16 meters, and related auxiliary structures, forming the Meiliang Lake Pump Station. This facility serves as a multi-directional water regulation project for Taihu Lake, Li Lake, and Liangxi River, and also stands as a unique hydraulic landscape within Wuxi’s parks.

The island is covered with hundreds of species of lush and graceful trees and dozens of varieties of blooming flowers. A main scenic road along the lake, Bopu Path, runs from north to south through the entire island. Scenic spots such as Xiangling Bay, Lotus Harbor, Reed Marsh, and Sanyou Cottage blend harmoniously with the nearby mountains and waters to form picturesque views. Waterside structures like “Lotus Pavilion,” “Curved Lotus Hall,” “Clear Lotus Bridge,” and “Moon-Cup Pavilion” are quaint and elegant. Visitors here are greeted by the fragrance of lotus and immersed in the beauty of the natural ecological landscape.

The names of pavilions, terraces, towers, halls, pavilions, and galleries on the island are all derived from the folk legends of Zhang Bo’s water management efforts during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Among them, Wangtian Pavilion, Guanshui Pavilion, and Liuyun Pavilion vividly depict Zhang Bo observing celestial signs and water conditions in his water control endeavors. Meanwhile, structures named after Zhang Bo’s daughters—“Xiaofeng Tower,” “Zhuoyu Tower,” and “Runxue Tower”—exude an ancient cultural aura. Together with the sculpture of Zhang Bo’s incarnation as a pig-dragon on Chenglu Terrace and cultural landscape walls, they form a series of cultural attractions that highlight the rich humanistic and ecological heritage centered on Zhang Bo’s water management legacy.

At the northern end of the park lies the over 3,000-square-meter Li Lake Exhibition Hall, which aims to preserve Li Lake culture and showcase the historical evolution, social changes, and economic development of Li Lake. It will also serve as a science education venue and a patriotic education base for young people.

Owl Island, just a hundred meters from Bopu Island and echoing the city’s landmark “Hundred-Meter High Fountain,” is a solitary island in West Li Lake covering nearly 2 hectares. It is a paradise for owls and egrets. The island is planted with numerous nut-bearing plants favored by these birds, and its shallow bays maintain a water depth of about 20–50 centimeters, conducive to the breeding of reeds, aquatic plants, snails, fish, and shrimp. The entire island is designed to create a natural environment, providing egrets and owls with places to play and hide. On sunny days, flocks of egrets and owls take flight from the island into the vast expanse of Li Lake, soaring above the water like dancing snowflakes. They occasionally dip into the waves or chirp joyfully in the sky, interacting with the beautiful natural scenery of Li Lake and the throngs of visitors, creating a delightful atmosphere reminiscent of the scene described by Qing Dynasty poet Sun Jigao: “Orioles sing beneath the masts as spring fades, and egrets call warmly beside the mats.”

Address: Inside Li Lake New Town, south of Daruan Bridge along Huanhu Road

Type: Urban Park

Transportation

Bus routes 36, 53, 72, 87, 106, 207, and the Li Lake Scenic Tour Bus stop at Bopu Island Park Station

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

Open all day