Shao Bo Xie An Square

Shao Bo Xie An Square

Following the victory in the Battle of Fei River during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Xie An, the commander-in-chief of the campaign, was relocated to Guangling in the tenth year of the Taiyuan era (385) of the Eastern Jin. He established a new town as his residence and built the Pingshui Dam on the lake to the northeast of the new town to irrigate the fields, “regulating water storage and release as needed to ensure annual bumper harvests.” In honor of his contributions, later generations compared him to the Duke of Shao from the Zhou Dynasty, naming the dam “Shao Bo Dam,” the lake “Shao Bo Lake,” and eventually, as a major town developed nearby, it became known as “Shao Bo Town,” a name that has been used to this day.

To commemorate Xie An’s great achievements and showcase Shao Bo’s historical legacy, the Gan Tang Square was funded with over 6 million yuan and constructed in 2007, serving as the predecessor to Xie An Square. The square is located to the east of the old Huaijiang Road, in the southern part of the town area, covering an area of about 30 acres. It mainly features hardened paving surfaces, complemented by corresponding greenery, dry fountains, and cultural display walls. Since its completion, it has become an important venue for local residents to engage in fitness activities, leisure, and cultural enrichment.

The year 2015 marked the 2,500th anniversary of Yangzhou’s founding. The municipal Party committee and government included the establishment and opening of eight major cultural squares as a key event in the city’s celebration. As the only township-level square in the entire city, Shao Bo Town’s Xie An Square was incorporated into this initiative. In response, the Jiangdu District Party committee and government placed high importance on the project. In accordance with the unified arrangements of the municipal authorities, they instructed Shao Bo Town to further renovate and upgrade the existing Gan Tang Square and rename it Xie An Square, thereby better showcasing the distinctive features of the ancient town and serving the broader public.

The renovation project of Xie An Square commenced in early September 2015, with a total investment of approximately 6 million yuan. The project primarily aimed to infuse more cultural significance into the existing Gan Tang Square, comprehensively elevating the square’s quality and highlighting Shao Bo’s profound cultural heritage. Adhering to the principles of high starting point, high standards, and high quality, the design of the overall plan took inspiration from Shao Bo’s unique ancient town culture and canal culture as the backdrop, reflecting the harmonious integration of ancient water, greenery, literature, and cultural refinement. The plan envisions transforming Xie An Square into a new type of cultural square that integrates culture, entertainment, exhibitions, fitness, and more. The square is mainly divided into two functional zones: the cultural zone and the leisure zone. The cultural zone primarily features a statue of Xie An and four stone carvings depicting key events in his life that reflect his civil and military strategies (including his retreat to Dongshan, the Battle of Fei River, the gathering of scholars at the Orchid Pavilion, and the construction of the dam for water control), as well as one reclining sculpture. The leisure zone mainly includes a central dry fountain, landscape corridors, landscape feature walls, and a fitness square, all surrounded by green landscaping and three-dimensional lighting. Additionally, the facades of surrounding buildings were uniformly renovated, all nearby roads were paved with asphalt, and all overhead utility lines along the route were placed underground.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the project, Shao Bo Town specifically invited Jiangdu Landscape Construction Co., Ltd.—the contractor responsible for building the Jiangdu Longchuan Square and Ecological Square—to take charge of the design and construction of this upgrade project. The project commenced on September 12, 2015, and by late September 2015, the main body of the square’s renovation and upgrade was largely completed. The Xie An statue, the four stone carvings, the central dry fountain, the landscape corridor, the landscape feature walls, the landscape greening, the three-dimensional lighting, and the asphalt pavement of the roads were all finished, and an inauguration ceremony was held on September 22.

Xie An Square is an open public square. Every evening, residents of Shao Bo Town gather here one after another to engage in various recreational and sports activities. Relevant town units also organize events such as Yangju opera performances and movie screenings in the square.