Dongyong Park

Dongyong Park

Dongyong Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Dongyong Park is located in Xiaogan City and is a national AAA-level tourist attraction. It is situated on the eastern section of Huaiyin Avenue in the urban area of Xiaogan, 60 kilometers from Wuhan. The city of Xiaogan is also named after the story of Dong Yong’s filial piety moving heaven. Built in 1984, the park covers an area of 75 mu and is divided into three zones.

The park contains 12 scenic spots including the Filial Son Shrine, Fairy Pond, Locust Shade Tree, Mandarin Duck Tower, Silk Weaving Bridge, Silk Washing Pavilion, Hundred Steps Stairway, and Ascension Terrace. These attractions are designed around the legendary episodes of Dong Yong selling himself to bury his father, his filial piety moving heaven, the fairy descending to the mortal world, and their hundred-day marriage, celebrating the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young among the people of Xiaogan.

Located in the central part of the park, the "Filial Son Shrine" features a roof with blue ancient tiles, a courtyard with white walls and floral designs. The main hall inside faces south and is adorned with carved lattice doors, surrounded by potted plants and flowers, creating an elegant and harmonious antique atmosphere. The central hall of the shrine displays a horizontal plaque narrating Dong Yong’s life, while the sides exhibit related cultural relics, stone tablets, genealogical records, and calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. In the center of the shrine courtyard stands a white marble statue of Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy returning home after completing their work contract. The sixteen window patterns on the shrine courtyard wall, in the form of bas-reliefs, depict 16 stories of filial sons from folklore.

The "Jade Pool Fairyland" recreates the scene of the Seventh Fairy, Zhang Qijie, bathing and dressing up in the Jade Pool before descending to the mortal world. The statues of the seven fairy sisters, resembling white jade, are situated on the island in the pool, each with distinct expressions and tender looks, all exquisitely lifelike. The park also features a group of attractions including the "Ancient Locust Shade Tree," "Silk Weaving Bridge," and "Mandarin Duck Tower." Legend has it that the locust tree served as matchmaker for the marriage between the Seventh Fairy and Dong Yong. Beneath the Silk Weaving Bridge, they washed silk threads in the rolling river water, and with a heavenly shuttle, the fairy wove ten bolts of brocade in one night to redeem Dong Yong’s servitude contract. The "Mandarin Duck Tower" is a complex of pavilions built by the pond. A pair of closely nestled twin pavilions on the waterside tower symbolize Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy, leaning on each other in love; another pavilion extends along a corridor into the pond, symbolizing their child playing in the water. On the small island in the pond, a pair of white mandarin ducks form a visual counterpoint to the towers. Here, observing the fish in the water, the reflections of the pavilions, and the affectionate bond of the mandarin ducks, one can’t help but feel the warmth of the hometown of the fairies and Dong Yong, adding immeasurable joy to the visit.

On the left side of the park is a rice-grain-shaped earthen hill surrounded by thirteen smaller mounds. Legend says that Dong Yong’s son, Dong Tianbao, was often bullied by the sons of thirteen wealthy families. One day, while eating rice cooked from grains left by the Seventh Fairy, the self-proclaimed “Thirteen Tigers” came to insult him. In a fit of anger, Tianbao smashed his bowl, causing dust and sand to whirl through the air. Suddenly, the wind stopped and the sand settled, revealing a rice-grain-shaped hill that had appeared to press down on the thirteen mounds. This hill is now called "Rice Hill."

At the back gate of the park, there is a saddle-shaped hill. The steps leading up the hill are called the "Hundred Steps Stairway," which leads to the "Ascension Terrace" at the mountaintop. There, a carved incense burner stands. Legend says that on her way home after completing her work contract, the Seventh Fairy climbed the "Hundred Steps Stairway" to the "Ascension Terrace," and with the rising wisps of incense smoke, she left the human world with sorrow. The area is surrounded by water, with winding caves, rugged paths, and a mix of bridges, archways, and pavilions. From the "Ascension Terrace," one can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire park.

Location of Attractions

No. 257, Huaiyin Avenue, Xiaonan District, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, China