Jinan Zhongshan Park

Jinan Zhongshan Park

Jinan Zhongshan Park – Located at the intersection of Jingsan Road and Weiwu Road, it is the earliest public recreational area in Shandong Province to be named a park, covering an area of 46.5 mu. According to the "Continued Chronicles of Licheng County": In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1904 AD), when the Jiaoji Railway was completed, Shandong Governor Zhou Fu, together with Yuan Shikai, the Viceroy of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, petitioned the imperial court to establish three self-governing commercial ports in Jinan, Zhoucun, and Weixian. Within these ports, customs offices, government bureaus, markets, and parks were set up.

In the planning of Jinan’s commercial port area, it was decided to establish a park within an 8-hectare area between Jingsan Road and Jingsi Road, and Weisi Road and Xiaoweiliu Road. This was the earliest park established in a commercial port area in China at that time and was called the “Commercial Port Park.”

Park Features

When the north gate of Zhongshan Park was first built, the park was landscaped with flowers, trees, pavilions, ponds, rockeries, and winding paths. Hedges and flower beds, along with animal enclosures, were interspersed throughout, embodying the characteristic of “though man-made, it appears naturally formed.” It served as a recreational haven for literati, officials, and the elite. Inside the north gate, there was a hexagonal pond with a tall stone pillar in the center topped with a round disc, inside which a stone frog spouted water from its mouth and nose continuously. To the south of the pond, on a square stone platform, stood the “Si Zhao Pavilion,” featuring blue-tiled roofing, open corridors with bright columns, glass windows, and surrounding steps — an ideal spot for visitors to enjoy the scenery and sip tea. To the west was a rockery named “Yun Dong Ridge,” atop which stood the “Deng Xiao Pavilion,” while to the north of the ridge was a stone inscription titled “Peaks Twist and Turns.” On the eastern side of the ridge was a crescent-shaped pond planted with lotus flowers, which bloomed fragrantly in summer. To the east was a boat-shaped pavilion (also called Stone Striking Boat), facing the Dongfeng Pavilion from north to south. Square, round, and hexagonal pavilions dotted the park, creating breathtaking views. The park flourished with rich blooms and numerous trees, earning praise for being “lush with pines and cypresses throughout, vibrant flowers competing in fragrance,” and “a place where many scenes coexist without clutter, and many visitors gather without disturbance.”

Park History

Republican Era

Zhongshan Park in the 1930s. During the Republican era, the park served as a venue for revolutionary activities by various sectors of society and the early Communist organizations in Shandong. Historical records show: On October 20, 1920, the founding assembly of the "Li Xin Society" (a peripheral organization of the Party), initiated by Wang Jinmei, was held at the Si Zhao Pavilion in the park, laying a solid foundation for the establishment of the Communist Party in Shandong. On September 8, 1924, an anti-imperialist alliance meeting attended by 13 groups, including the barber and printing union federations led by Wang Jinmei, was held in the park, drawing tens of thousands. The meeting thoroughly exposed the crimes of imperialist aggression against China and demanded the abolition of unequal treaties, propelling the anti-imperialist movement in Jinan to new heights. On May 30, 1925, workers from the Xincheng Arsenal, the Tianjin-Pukou Railway Factory, and the Lufeng Textile Mill, led by Lu Bojun, gathered in the park to support the May 30th Incident in Shanghai. Then on June 15, five organizations — the Jinan General Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Port Chamber of Commerce, Commercial Workers Union, and Banking Workers Union — established the Business Community Shanghai Case Relief Association at the Si Zhao Pavilion in the park. Shops across the commercial port also closed on June 25, displaying signs reading “Cease business in mourning for our fallen compatriots.” On June 29, a memorial service was held in the park for those who died in the May 30th Incident, attended by over 100 groups and more than 200,000 people. On March 12, 1925, the great revolutionary pioneer Dr. Sun Yat-sen passed away, plunging the people of Jinan into deep sorrow. On April 4, a memorial assembly was held in the park. The preparatory committee and mourners escorted Dr. Sun’s portrait to the park. Mourning couplets sent by various institutions, groups, schools, and shops adorned the park, including one that read: “Admired worldwide for moving mountains and filling seas, a revolutionary hero; mourned nationwide for dedicating his life to paving the way for the nation.” Over 100,000 promotional materials praising Dr. Sun’s achievements were distributed at the event. To commemorate this great revolutionary, the “Commercial Port Park” was renamed “Zhongshan Park.”

War of Resistance Period

Cultural Propaganda Stronghold. Before the war, the park was well-managed. The municipal government had detailed and strict regulations for park visits, managing vendors, protecting public property, and hosting banquets, appointing a park administrator to oversee all affairs. After Japanese forces occupied Jinan, they built a radio station, erected a shrine, constructed gun emplacements, and dug trenches in the park, causing its area to shrink drastically, its scenery to deteriorate, and its former glory to vanish, leaving behind a desolate scene. In September 1948, Jinan was liberated, and the park came under the management of the Construction Bureau. From 1949 to 1953, it was placed under the Municipal Education and Culture Bureau as a cultural propaganda hub. During this period, a city library, reading rooms, a skating rink, and a cinema were built or renovated, providing the people of post-liberation Jinan with places for leisure, entertainment, and learning after work. As a result, the park was renamed “People’s Park.”

Park Renovation

Neat and Tidy Appearance. In August 1953, the park returned to the Construction Bureau and was managed by the Municipal Gardens Management Office, which carried out renovations for many years. In June 1958, ticketed entry was officially implemented. In 1981, with the spring breeze of reform and opening-up sweeping across the land, the garden industry developed rapidly. The municipal government and committee placed great importance on park construction, allocating special funds for a comprehensive renovation. Over two years, taking advantage of the park’s prime location and limited space, the principle of plant-based landscaping was applied. Using the technique of creating vastness within a small area and integrating traditional Chinese gardening artistry, the goal was to create more scenic spots within a confined space, achieving ever-changing views with the seasons and shifting perspectives. The renovated Zhongshan Park became classic and elegant, lush with plants, neat and tidy, rich in content, and the only comprehensive park in the city integrating sightseeing, rest, entertainment, accommodation, and dining. On November 12, 1986, the 120th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth, the name “Zhongshan Park” was restored. For nearly a century, it has played an immeasurable role in urban greening, beautification, and the tourism industry.

Park Guide

Ancient and Rare Trees

Rockeries used to complement small spaces. Zhongshan Park currently has 63 species and 4,198 trees, with 1,140 meters of hedges, and a coverage rate of 75%. Among them, there are 2,949 bamboo plants and 180 pine trees, considered the park’s base tree species. In addition to the “Bamboo Path through Seclusion” formed by a cluster of bamboos divided by paths in the central sparse forest plaza, and the “Towering Pine Cones” formed by tall cedar trees planted in flower stands, other plants are distributed along walls, near buildings, and around scenic spots in the central and eastern areas, complemented by rockeries used to embellish small spaces. Ancient and rare tree species also make up a proportion of the flora. There are 53 cypress trees remaining from the late Qing Dynasty, mainly distributed in the central area and around Yun Dong Ridge, with 22 clustered together near the amusement hall, forming a small forest. These cypresses are a rare ancient tree group in downtown Jinan. Coral hackberry is a rare tree species in Jinan, with only two in the urban area — one of which stands in front of the “Xi Hong Pavilion,” measuring 11.7 meters tall with a girth of 0.64 meters and thriving vigorously. Melia azedarach, wild pears, ginkgo, and Chinese honey locust are scarce, representing the finest specimens of flora.

Central Sightseeing Area

Stone Paths Encircle, Water and Mountain Reflect Each Other. Located in the central part of the park, it covers an area of 18,000 square meters. The western side features a rockery and pond as the main elements, based on Yun Dong Ridge, which is lush with trees and flowers, full of vitality, with steep cliffs, ravines, winding mountain paths, and a 900-square-meter pond to the east of the ridge. The water is clear and pristine, surrounded by winding stone paths, with water and mountain reflecting each other as one. Near the pond are landscape structures and garden ornaments such as the “Liu Yin Waterside Pavilion,” “Shen You Pavilion,” “Yi Feng Pavilion,” “Ting Bu Bridge,” and “Deng Yun Stone.” The eastern side is dominated by a long corridor formed by a half-wall corridor, flower stand corridor, and propaganda corridor. It includes four differently shaped resting pavilions, such as the “Xi Hong Pavilion,” with stone benches installed along the corridor for visitors to rest. On both sides of the corridor are sparse forest plazas mainly of green pines and bamboos, along with various plants forming garden landscapes. Scenic elements such as “Towering Pine Cones,” “Bamboo Grove through Seclusion,” “Maple Shade Chess Playing,” “Vine and Cypress Clusters,” and “Majestic Peak Standing” are gathered in the area, making it the park’s main sightseeing zone.

Flower and Potted Plant Area

Open-Air Flowers. Located in the eastern part of the park, it covers an area of 6,000 square meters and serves as a zone for flower production, viewing, and sales. It includes an 800-square-meter greenhouse and cold room, as well as a 2,000-square-meter bonsai garden displaying various tree, rock, and seasonal flower arrangements for visitors to admire and purchase. To the south are open-air flowers, with different seasonal ornamental plants such as plum blossoms, roses, and chrysanthemums planted among tall pines, cypresses, and Melia azedarach trees. There are also structures such as fan-shaped pavilions, pillow rainbow stones, ponds, and fountains.

Transportation

No. 132, Jingsan Road, Shizhong District, Jinan. Transportation: Take bus routes 101, 13, 77, or K59 to Jinan Hotel Station, then walk 200 meters west.

Attraction Location

No. 132, Jingsan Road, Shizhong District, Jinan

Sun Yat-sen (1866–1925), courtesy name Wen, style name Zai Zhi, also known as Ri Xin and Yi Xian, childhood name Di Xiang, alias Zhong Shan Qiao, often went by the name Zhongshan. Born into a farming family in Cuiheng Village, Xiangshan County (now Zhongshan City), Guangdong Province. In his youth, influenced by the revolutionary traditions of the people of Guangdong, he aspired to the revolutionary cause of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He was a pioneer of China’s modern national democratic revolution, a great forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution, the founder of the Republic of China and the Kuomintang, an advocate of the Three Principles of the People, and the creator of the “Five-Power Constitution.” He was the first to raise the banner of thorough anti-feudalism... More details about Sun Yat-sen ++