Tingtang Park

Tingtang Park

Tingtang Park is the first farmers' park in China, featuring vast waters and beautiful scenery. It covers an area of 999 mu, with water bodies accounting for 494 mu. Wanbian Pavilion is one of the main attractions in Tingtang Park. It was first built in the seventh year of Yuangfeng during the Northern Song Dynasty, which corresponds to 1085 AD. Legend has it that this was the place where Emperor Ming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, being chased by rebel general Wang Dun, dropped his precious whip in a hasty escape. The park is lush with greenery and boasts pleasant scenery. In spring, “flowers in the pavilion are in full bloom and birds chirp cheerfully,” and it has been listed as one of the “Ten Scenic Spots of Wuhu” since ancient times.

Supporting attractions in the park include “Balu Mountain,” “Jade Belt Bridge,” “Coral Pillow,” “Glassy Well,” “Poetry Corridor,” “Willow Embankment,” “Winding Bridge,” “Tingtang Pavilion,” “Tingyuan Garden,” and “Bell Pavilion,” among others. Service facilities include a “boat dock,” “restaurant,” “cold drinks stand,” “snack bar,” “open-air area,” and “fishing spots.” Since its opening, the park has hosted numerous domestic and international visitors and has been hailed as the “Pearl of the River City.” Today, with the care and support of the Wuhu municipal government at all levels, the park is striving for further development and improvement.

Tingtang Park features vast waters and natural scenery. The boundless beauty of Tingtang Park is unparalleled, truly enchanting; winding bridges, small islands, corridor carvings, ancient wells, and old bells inspire the feeling that “if I could capture this scene in a painting, even the most vivid brush could not rival nature’s magic.” Wanbian Pavilion was newly built within Tingtang Park in 1984. “Wanbian” (Dropping the Whip) was one of the ancient “Eight Scenic Spots of Wuhu,” celebrated for centuries through moving historical tales. Wanbian Pavilion was first built in the seventh year of Yuangfeng during the Northern Song Dynasty (1085 AD), later destroyed, rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, renovated again in the Qing Dynasty, and then fell into disuse. The pavilion stands 10 meters tall, has two stories, and features eight angles and eight pillars, shining in brilliant colors. Inside the pavilion are four murals depicting how Emperor Ming of Jin escaped by abandoning his whip—vivid and lifelike.

According to the Book of Jin, in the second year of Tai Ning during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (324 AD), the minister Wang Dun plotted a rebellion. Emperor Ming of Jin “got wind of it secretly,” and thus disguised himself and rode lightly to “the lake” to secretly inspect Wang Dun’s camp, but was discovered and pursued. To escape, the emperor gave his treasured seven-jeweled whip to an “old woman selling food” by the road, saying, “When the pursuers come, you can show them this.” Soon after, “the pursuers arrived,” saw the precious whip, and “admired it for a long time,” giving the emperor time to flee far away. Li Bai wrote in his poem “Reflections on Fleeing South”: “Alas, I lacked my seven-jeweled whip, lingering by the roadside in admiration,” referring to this very story. Wanbian Pavilion has long been a famous scenic spot, leaving behind many poetic inscriptions by literati. Su Zhe wrote, “The seven-jeweled whip left on the roadside, fierce warriors hesitated and could not pursue,” and Huang Tingjian wrote, “To this day the bamboo roots at the pavilion spread, still evoking thoughts of that seven-jeweled whip of old,” lines that stir deep emotion. This is a park built through the collective funding of local farmers, featuring vast waters and natural scenery. Visiting Wanbian Pavilion in spring, “with warm breeze and idle clouds, ascending this pavilion, where flowers bloom lavishly and birds chirp merrily,” the boundless beauty of Tingtang Park is unmatched, truly enchanting; winding bridges, small islands, corridor carvings, ancient wells, and old bells inspire the feeling that “if I could capture this scene in a painting, even the most vivid brush could not rival nature’s magic.” Visiting Wanbian Pavilion in spring, “with warm breeze and idle clouds, ascending this pavilion, where flowers bloom lavishly and birds chirp merrily.”