Tianjin Ningyuan Garden

Tianjin Ningyuan Garden

Tianjin Ningyuan Garden is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relics protection unit of Tianjin.

Ningyuan Garden is located north of Tianjin North Railway Station, on the north side of Zhongshan North Road and the south side of Yuhong Road, covering an area of 45.65 hectares with a water surface of 11.7 hectares.

Ningyuan Garden is a historic landscape garden. The park was originally an official botanical garden established in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1906 (the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty), Yuan Shikai, the Viceroy of Zhili, in order to implement new policies, assigned Zhou Xuexi to establish a botanical garden near Tianjin North Railway Station under the name of the Bureau of Works. In 1907 (the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign), the lake was officially excavated and the garden was built. With the idea of constructing a temporary palace for Empress Dowager Cixi within the garden, the architectural planning and design were highly ingenious. "When the garden was first built, the lake was dug, hills were piled up, canals were dug to manage the water, and sluices were installed to divert water. The lake water was connected to the outer Jinzhou River, allowing proper drainage. Three pavilion rooms were built in the garden, named Jian Shui Xuan (Mirror Water Pavilion)."

During the Republic of China period, amid warlord conflicts, the botanical garden gradually fell into disrepair. In 1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China), the Beining Railway Bureau purchased the garden and planned to expand and rebuild it as a public park. Drawing from the phrase in Zhuge Liang’s “Admonition to His Son”—“Without serenity, nothing great can be achieved”—it was named “Ningyuan Garden” (Garden of Serenity), and a stele was erected in the pavilion corridor. The park followed the techniques of classical Chinese garden design, building on the foundation of the original botanical garden by adding new classical structures such as the Hongguan Tower, Daya Hall, Zhiqian Auditorium, Library, Four-Sided Hall, Fishing Terrace, as well as pools, pavilions, bridges, corridors, and winding paths. The landscape construction exhibited distinct imperial garden characteristics: red beams and green pillars, colorful painted eaves, stacked hills and managed waters, and secluded winding paths. Especially notable is the over 2,000-meter-long corridor, which rivals the world-famous Summer Palace corridor. The lakes and canals within the garden are well integrated and connected by more than 30 arch bridges and small bridges. Weeping willows line the shores, pavilions and towers are scattered about, and winding corridors add to the subtle charm and the uniquely beautiful natural scenery. Ningyuan Garden was the first park in the national railway system and, because it was owned by the Beining Railway Bureau, was also known as Beining Park.

In 1937, during the Japanese invasion of China, the southeastern part of Beining Park became a Japanese military barracks, and the lake center structure was converted into a Japanese military hospital, leaving only a pathway from the west gate to the Four-Sided Hall as an open tour route. Although it was fully reopened after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it was not renovated and fell into disrepair.

After the liberation, Ningyuan Garden underwent several renovations. The original classical garden structures were preserved and restored, and new constructions such as Shuyun Platform, Changguan Tower, Diecui Palace, Cinema, Flower Exhibition Hall, Zhiyuan Pagoda, and Hot Spring Hotel were added. These formed ten scenic spots: Lotus Fragrance Overlooking the Scenery, Twisting Streams of Victory, Purple Pavilion Evergreen, Roses Filling the Garden, Fish Leaping and Kites Flying, Lotus Pot Layered Greenery, Winding Waters of Yingzhou, Calm Waves Watching Fish, Defiant Spring Beauty, and Serenity Leading to Far Horizons. Dozens of couplets and plaques were commissioned from renowned calligraphers and artists, creating a poetic and harmonious atmosphere. Because the park was under the administration of the Tianjin Railway Branch, Ningyuan Garden was once renamed “Railway Workers’ Cultural Palace” and “Erqi Park.”

Beining Park has undergone multiple constructions since the late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China, and after the liberation. Its landscape architecture and historical remains from various periods are exceptionally rich, making it the largest and most completely preserved modern public garden in the city in its original form.

In February 2010, the Hebei District Party Committee and District Government, commissioned by the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, carried out an upgrade and renovation project for Ningyuan Garden. The project highlighted three major landscape features—water systems, pavilions and corridors, and towers—and followed traditional methods to restore the old appearance, reflecting historical and cultural significance and recreating the charm of this century-old famous garden.

Address: No. 1, Zhongshan North Road, Hebei District

Phone: 60836726

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Tianjin Cultural Relics Protection Units