Grand Canal Water Dream Park

Grand Canal Water Dream Park

“Grand Canal Water Dream Park” is located at the easternmost end of the eastern extension of Chang’an Avenue in Beijing, on the southeastern bank of the Chaobai River in Lucheng Town, Tongzhou District. It is easily accessible via roads such as the old Beijing-Yuzhou Road, the Beijing-Harbin Expressway, the Beijing-Tongzhou Expressway, the Sixth Ring Road, and bus route 938. The overall design features ethnic characteristics, with an ancient, natural charm and serene scenery. It has now taken shape as a landscape pattern of “one park with three water bodies, six zones and twenty scenic spots.”

1. Canal Heritage: Upon entering the park, you step into the “Canal Ancient Path,” where stone carvings of the Grand Canal, imbued with centuries of cultural heritage, are aligned along the right side of the path. The water-controlling beast sculptures, meticulously carved under the direction of Guo Shoujing, the water conservancy supervisor during the Yuan Dynasty’s Zhiyuan era, are considered rare treasures. Gazing at the sculptures of ancient ship anchors, visitors are instantly transported to the past, feeling as though they are “traveling across waters that stretch for thousands of miles to reach Hangzhou, with masts and sails dotting the river and boats vying in bustling competition—how flourishing it once was. The dreams of the Hangzhou Canal have gathered in Lucheng, and today the scenery is even more splendid.”

2. Water Recreation Area: The park takes water as its soul, with shimmering lake waters connecting the two major water systems of the Grand Canal and the Chaobai River running throughout the entire scenic area. The main water recreation area spans 180,000 square meters. Windmills creak softly, water wheels turn leisurely, and the fishing island offers a unique charm. Along the lakeside, there are green corridors, a three-tiered waterfall, painted pleasure boats on the water, pedal boats, bumper boats, bamboo rafts, and yachts. More than ten uniquely shaped small bridges and ancient pavilions stand on the lake surface, creating a light-ink painting of a Jiangnan water town.

3. Natural Scenic Area: The park boasts rich vegetation, lush green grass, wildflowers everywhere, ancient trees lining the paths, reeds swaying by the lake, and weeping willows gently swaying along the shore. The lakeside path is paved with bluestone, and tea houses nestled among the woods add to the charm. Particularly distinctive are the “Lakeside Thatched Cottage” and the “Hundred-Step Corridor,” where visitors can enjoy the natural beauty while appreciating art exhibits rich in tea culture. The “Ancient Street” of green-tiled wooden houses with lattice windows faces the lake, with shop signs hanging high, exuding an antique charm. Sitting for a rest, sipping tea and enjoying a drink, one can fully experience the ambiance of a Jiangnan water town. The hundred-acre lotus pond where kingfishers sing, the hundred-acre reed marshes, and wetlands offer a unique and picturesque scene.

4. Ethnic and Folk Culture Area: Unique cave dwellings with heated kang beds from Northern Shaanxi, which are warm in winter and cool in summer, tell the interesting tales of the “Ten Oddities of Northern Shaanxi.” There is also a Mongolian grassland camp that combines dining, entertainment, accommodation, singing and dancing, Obo worship, and bonfire evening parties. Traditional folk activities include making dumplings for the New Year, stepping on the “Year,” worshipping the Kitchen God, setting off firecrackers, scattering lantern flowers, and making zongzi by picking reed leaves yourself.

5. Rural Experience Area: The park is divided into sections for planting various crops such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Beyond recreation, visitors can visit the picking garden to experience the fun of harvesting various crops by hand, adopt fruit trees and small poultry, and engage in micro-farming. Here, you’ll find traditional stone mills, millstones, water wheels, and well-pulling devices. Activities such as riding camels, donkeys, driving ox carts, and carrying bridal sedan chairs are also available. The rural farming area also recreates the fervent collective farming era of the People’s Commune, including work-point tallying and grain distribution performances. The “Fragrant Home” and “Wheat Aroma Village” restaurants can accommodate 300 diners and are suitable for hosting birthdays, celebrations, and wedding banquets, guaranteeing a treat for your taste buds.

6. Water Conservancy Science Exhibition Hall: This hall comprehensively displays the history of water conservancy development and modern water-saving technological facilities. The 2,000-square-meter exhibition hall integrates the traditional and evolutionary history of water conservancy into a beautiful ecological landscape with its unique scenic effects. Scenes include mountain streams, small bridges and quaint pavilions, brick wells with windlasses, and the murmuring of wells. Various mini-scenes combine science, education, knowledge, and fun, allowing visitors to participate and interact, learning through play and being educated through enjoyment. The exhibition hall also features a calligraphy and photography gallery that attracts artists and celebrities to create and display their works, functional areas for hosting small meetings, celebrations, and organized events, as well as a leisure area for coffee, tea, and enjoying short films.

7. Children’s Recreation Area: The small zoo houses animals for viewing such as peacocks, pigeons, small birds, flower cows, little donkeys, and lambs. Visitors can touch, feed, and take photos with these adorable creatures. Feeding goldfish and catching fish in murky water are activities that children especially enjoy. Trampolines, slides, swings, balance boards, and sandcastle digging further captivate young interests. The goldfish pond is within easy reach, and the shaded children’s plaza is bustling with toy cars, letting kids immerse themselves in joy.

Scenic Spot Location

Qiji Village, Lucheng Town, Tongzhou District, Beijing