Dayu Park

Dayu Park

Dayu Park is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Dayu Park: Located in the northern part of Yucheng City, it was originally built in 1995 on the site of the former People’s Park. It was renovated in 2010 and renamed Dayu Park. The scenic area covers a total of 400 acres, including 110 acres of water surface. The park features 24 attractions that can be admired both from afar and up close, with a well-organized layout of primary and secondary sights. The main entrance consists of a wooden and stone archway with a traditional upturned eave design and glazed tile roofing, along with an exquisitely crafted granite stone bridge. Upon entering the main gate, visitors are greeted by the Nine Rivers Into the Sea themed square; to the east lies the Yu Character Stele, displaying the character “Yu” (禹) written by calligraphers throughout history; to the west are nine ponds symbolizing the nine rivers dredged by Yu the Great; on the western landscape wall is a carving of Chiwen, one of the legendary dragon’s nine sons, with nine bronze golden crabs crouching beneath it. A 13.8-meter-high seal script character “Yu” stands in the square as the park’s iconic structure (symbolizing the 13 years Yu spent taming the floods, eight of which were in Yucheng).

The park boasts the rippling Canghai Lake, shaped like a gold ingot or a drawn bow. The Zigzag Bridge in the middle section of Canghai Lake resembles a diamond necklace adorning the lake. The lakeside pathways, paved with stone blocks and bricks and covered with floral tiles, encircle the entire lake. Willow trees sway along the shore, lush greenery provides ample shade, and birds sing amid fragrant flowers. Sitting at the stone tables and benches offers a leisurely, book-reading experience reminiscent of the scenic beauty of West Lake.

In the northeastern part of the park, there is a small island in the lake. To the left, a high-quality wooden bridge extends to the eastern shore, while to the right, a stone bridge connects to the western shore. The island features an elegantly designed Twin-Rain Pavilion, beneath which, slightly to the right, lies the historic One Step Two Wells. Legend has it that the western well is the Shun Well, dug by Emperor Shun, known for its sweet-tasting water, while the eastern well was left behind by a small white dragon, yielding bitter, briny water. Although the two wells are just a step apart, their water qualities are completely different. A later poem reads: “A step apart lie two wells, legend says they were once dragon eyes; Emperor Yu’s divine needle subdued the dragon, sweet and bitter springs spread their fame.”

Source: Yucheng City Local Chronicles Compilation Committee