Yingcheng Park

Yingcheng Park

Yingcheng Park, also known as People's Park or Puyang Scenic Spot, may cover only 140 acres (including a 40-acre water area), but it is exquisitely designed, elegantly styled, and thoughtfully laid out. With its charming scenery, well-placed structures, and vibrant views, it offers a delightful place for people to relax, exercise in the morning or evening, and enjoy leisure activities.

Built in 1931, Yingcheng Park was the only county-level park in central Hubei at the time. Located in the city center of Yingcheng County, it once attracted visitors from Xiaogan, Yunmeng, Anlu, Hanchuan, Jingshan, and Tianmen. Today, from the windows of rooms at Yingcheng Hotel, you can enjoy a full view of the park’s scenery.

In the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920), local gentry such as Li Jihong, Wang Yuzhi, and Zhao Baomin proposed building a park in the city to provide entertainment for residents and promote the culture of Puyang. However, due to difficulties in raising funds and deciding on a suitable site, the plan was not realized. In the fourteenth year of the Republic (1925), Chen Yin San returned from studying in France. Upon learning about the proposed park, he recognized it as a worthy project to benefit his hometown and actively got involved. He personally surveyed potential sites, volunteered design ideas, and eventually selected a picturesque area east of the city gate, adjacent to the Confucius Temple — a location that combined natural beauty with cultural heritage. After extensive consultations, Chen was appointed to oversee the overall planning. With advice from Wu Guobing, the chief designer of Wuhan’s Zhongshan Park, a blueprint was created. But construction was delayed due to insufficient funding. In the eighteenth year of the Republic (1929), the preparatory committee, building on earlier donations, raised an additional 10,000 silver dollars from wealthy merchants including Peng Zhongmin, Sheng Lanfang, Peng Youyan, Yang Xiaoyan, and Long Changtai, along with contributions from the Gypsum & Salt Company and the Hammer Industry Guild. Following a bidding process, the construction contract was awarded to the Huangpi-based contractor “Ding Tianxing.” Work began in the nineteenth year of the Republic (1930) and was completed in one year, resulting in the “Yingcheng Park” covering approximately 220 acres (including 50 acres of water area). The park has now stood for over 70 years.

Based on the park’s terrain, low areas were turned into ponds while higher ground was used for platforms, imitating yet improving upon nature. The scenery varies with the landscape, and the landscape enhances the park’s charm. The layout is tasteful and distinctive. The park’s scenic spots became famous throughout Hubei. However, this idyllic setting didn’t last long. Just seven years after its completion, the Japanese invaders trampled the park underfoot. The occupying forces turned it into a military training ground, cutting down trees and demolishing buildings. Aside from a waterside pavilion that survived, all other attractions were destroyed. The park lay in ruins — “the poplars shed their leaves early, the frontier grass withered in advance,” “the open pools were leveled, the steep corners collapsed,” “standing still in silence, my heart is utterly broken” (from Bao Zhao’s “Ode to the Desolate City”).

After the victory in the War of Resistance in 1945, Yingcheng Park was renamed “Puyang Scenic Spot.” A new park gate was built on the west side facing the street, and a “Three Fragrance Garden” was added, featuring lilac, daphne, and osmanthus. A wooden corridor was also restored. In 1948, when the Jianghan Independent Brigade captured Yingcheng, the park was used as a stronghold by the Kuomintang army. Intense fighting left the park scorched and littered with corpses, reducing it to a barren wasteland.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Yingcheng Park was returned to the people and renamed “People’s Park.” Successive county and municipal governments poured great enthusiasm into its reconstruction, investing millions of yuan and carrying out nearly ten rounds of repairs and expansions. Gradually, the park was developed into its current scale.

The park’s main entrance faces the broad Ancient City Avenue. The gate is a classic Chinese-style paifang (archway) structure, with upturned eaves, carved beams, colorful paintings, and a resplendent golden sheen. A golden plaque inscribed with “Puyang Scenic Spot” is embedded in the archway, adding to its elegance and grandeur. Two wooden couplets immediately draw visitors into the beauty of the park. Indeed, “Spring bustles with the songs of swallows and orioles; autumn resonates with the croaks of frogs and chirps of cicadas. In this bright world, spring fades and autumn returns, inspiring verses time and again. The Dacheng Hall is framed by ancient cypresses and vigorous bamboos; Little Yingzhou features cascading waterfalls and flowing springs. In this modest garden, layered scenes unfold like a grand panorama.”

Along the base of the ancient city wall and by the lakeshore, a newly built gravel path allows walkers to strengthen their legs and improve fitness. Many people walk around it repeatedly — some come back day after day — and locals affectionately call it the “Fitness Path.”

The waterside pavilion, originally named

“Qingqin Pavilion,” features a first-floor base adorned with a dragon-and-phoenix pattern surrounded by bats, symbolizing good fortune, and a floor inlaid with a golden image of two deer gazing at each other. Standing on the pavilion, with a gentle breeze brushing by and the water surface calm and reflective, the trees mirrored in the water create a scene so serene it feels like being on a fairy isle.

Known as “Confucius Pool,” the artificial lake covers about 40 acres. Couples and families paddle on the lake, playing music and singing, filling the air with joyful sounds. On the eastern side of the lake, a mushroom-shaped pavilion extends over the water. In the lake’s southern inlet, there are 13 lotus-leaf-shaped bridges made of cement slabs. To the northwest lies a winding corridor that follows the curve of the lake, where visitors can stroll, sit, or lean on the railings to gaze into the distance.

Crossing a stone bridge, you’ll find a hexagonal pavilion called “Fenghua Pavilion.” Visitors gather here to chat or enjoy impromptu performances of Peking opera, Han opera, and Chu opera by amateur performers, often met with enthusiastic applause. Across the path from Fenghua Pavilion is a wisteria-covered arbor. The dense foliage shades the area, and clusters of fruit hang overhead. Resting here brings a cool respite, with the sweet scent of wisteria refreshing the senses. To the east and west of this spot are small grassy hills covered in lush green moss, where children play and roll around on the lawn, and elderly people lie basking in the warm sun, stretching their limbs in contentment.

To the west of the park, inside the “Gate of the Supreme Sage,” stands a thousand-year-old Confucian temple — a sacred site of Confucianism where inscriptions praising Confucius still remain, surrounded by ancient cypresses and bamboo. In front of the “Gate of the Supreme Sage” is a garden of potted plants and floral arrangements, showcasing flowers in various pots, each displaying its unique beauty.

Yingcheng Park has become a haven for relaxation, emotional enrichment, and physical fitness. Strolling through its grounds, visitors can enjoy the pleasures of nature, admire the artistry of the gardens, benefit from exercise, feel a connection to history, and draw inspiration for the present.