Tangjin Canal Eco-Tourism Resort

Tangjin Canal Eco-Tourism Resort

The Tangjin Canal Eco-Tourism Resort is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Situated in the southwest of Fengnan District, Tangshan City, and threaded by the 25-kilometer Tangjin Canal, the resort offers a blend of leisure, entertainment, shopping, and wellness. Its theme is “Showcasing Canal Folklore History, Highlighting Vitality Through Sports, and Returning to Nature via Eco-Leisure.” It features renowned domestic attractions such as the Oriental Dragon Valley, the country’s newest and most thrilling large-scale natural theme park; the Canal Chinatown, known as the “Qinhuai Scene of the North, Canal Chinatown”; and the picturesque Huifeng Lake, among many other nationally acclaimed sites.

Edit Huifeng Lake Park

With an investment of 110 million yuan, Huifeng Lake Park covers an area of 1,500 mu, including an 800-mu lake that is 2 meters deep. The design of Huifeng Lake draws inspiration from the classical Chinese garden layout of “one pond and three hills,” featuring three islands: Changchun, Yuezhi, and Yongfeng. Yongfeng Island is connected to both the east and west banks of the lake by Huibridge and Fengbridge. The lake is shaped like a gourd, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Upon completion, Huifeng Lake connects with the Tangshan South Lake, Tangjin Canal, Meiriver, and Longquan River, forming an ecological water system known as the “Two Lakes and Three Rivers.” The northern side of the lake houses a water screen movie and a musical fountain stretching 200 meters, capable of projecting 11 different types of water displays, with the central jet reaching up to 100 meters. During the day, the fountain captivates with the seamless fusion of sound, light, water, and color, showcasing the unique charm of a modern musical fountain. At night, the graceful interplay of lights, music, and fountains transports visitors to a fairytale wonderland — a design acclaimed as the finest in northern China. To cater to visitors, the park now offers recreational activities such as boat rides, speedboats, electric carts, and sightseeing buses.

Canal Chinatown

Located on the southern side of Huifeng Lake and along both banks of the Tangjin Canal, Canal Chinatown stretches 1,000 meters. With an investment of 500 million yuan, it spans 31,000 square meters and includes 70 commercial shops. The architecture of Canal Chinatown is styled after Ming and Qing dynasty buildings, serving as a cultural tourism commercial street that integrates branded dining, shopping and leisure, antiques and calligraphy, and sightseeing. Leveraging its proximity to water, the area makes the most of its aquatic setting, connecting seven uniquely designed waterside courtyards and squares via a riverside promenade. It replicates…

Canal Chinatown (8 photos)

The classic Ming and Qing-style architecture, fused with Tangshan’s traditional opera culture, recreates a northern version of the Qinhuai scenery. Using group lantern displays combined with modern lighting techniques, it has created Tangshan’s first all-night city, addressing the lack of evening sightseeing options in the region and beyond. To enrich the cultural experience, the area combines external performances with local talent cultivation, aiming to foster local folk art. In May 2011, the Wuqiao Acrobatics Troupe was invited to perform at the site, launching the Wuqiao Acrobatics Festival. As the saying goes, “World acrobatics watch China, Chinese acrobatics watch Wuqiao.” Through these performances, visitors can enjoy top-tier acrobatic art, which also boosts local artistic events. Canal Chinatown now hosts eight performance venues — four by the Wuqiao Troupe and four by local performers — offering shows all day long. Local acts focus on regional folk performances, filling a gap in indigenous cultural offerings.

Oriental Dragon Valley

Situated west of Canal Chinatown, Oriental Dragon Valley spans 1,000 mu with a planned total investment of 1.51 billion yuan, aiming for national 5A-level status.

Oriental Dragon Valley (7 photos)

Designed by the Korea Tourism Development Institute, the project incorporates four “world-firsts,” reflecting its forward-thinking and high-end planning. These include the world’s tallest landscape tree, fastest roller coaster, and a roller coaster with the smallest angle and slowest speed. Deeply rooted in Chinese dragon culture, the park uses cutting-edge technology to stage distinctive large-scale performances, creating a Chinese Dragon Culture Industrial Park that delivers a powerful visual impact. The design includes over 100 entertainment attractions across themed zones such as Adventure Forest, Rainbow Park, Arabian Nights, Volcano Park, and Ice Age. Over 70% of the attractions are indoors, mitigating the seasonal limitations common in northern winter tourism.

Nine-Dragon Cauldron

The Nine-Dragon Cauldron is crafted from nearly 40,000 pieces of blue-and-white porcelain, including cups, spoons, bowls, plates, and saucers. The cauldron stands 6 meters tall with a diameter of 6 meters (reaching 10 meters at its widest point), meticulously hand-woven using cotton thread by skilled lantern artisans. Each porcelain piece follows precise design specifications, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship and rigorous construction. The structure is primarily steel, illuminated externally, with the dragon heads featuring LED light chases and mist effects. Its grand concept, majestic scale, ingenious design, refined workmanship, and imposing presence embody both regal dignity and folk charm.

Nine-Dragon Cauldron (5 photos)

In Chinese culture, the cauldron symbolizes power and royalty. The Nine-Dragon Cauldron redesigns an ancient Western Zhou prototype, infusing it with modern meaning — “nine nines return to one, unity of China.” It is encircled by nine majestic four-clawed porcelain dragons, representing “nine dragons heralding prosperity, unity of the land.” The three sturdy legs resemble lion heads and paws, symbolizing enduring stability.

The dragon is a symbol of power and kingship in China. The Nine-Dragon Cauldron reinterprets an ancient form, innovatively expressing the modern ideal of unity. The nine dragons signify peace and harmony across the nation. The lion-headed legs represent enduring strength.

Ancient Pot Tea Charm

Inspired by Tangshan’s folk culture, this lantern features a large bronze teapot as its centerpiece, exuding an antique charm. The teapot is made from special brown medicine bottles, and when pouring tea, it creates a flowing light effect, making viewers feel as if they can smell the aroma.

Ancient Pot Tea Charm (4 photos)

Tea speaks gently, the pot holds the universe. Ancient Pot Tea Charm invites people to find simplicity, nature, and elegance within the pot, offering a tranquil, mild, and natural experience. It encourages refinement of character and spirit, immersing visitors in a serene, profound atmosphere — as if hearing the gentle murmur of water and catching the faint scent of tea.

Tea speaks to the heart, the pot holds the world. Ancient Pot Tea Charm lets people seek simplicity and nature within its form, delivering a peaceful, elegant feeling like mountain streams. It calms the mind, purifies the spirit, and harmonizes the soul with all things.

People’s Park

Located west of the Jinshan Railway, People’s Park spans 590,000 square meters, stretching 3.7 kilometers from north to south with a width of 150–350 meters. Centered on ecology, it is divided into four functional zones: ecological leisure, wellness, nature, and culture. The park emphasizes recreation, urban beautification, and ecological protection, seamlessly integrating with the city and daily life. It includes one landscape waterfall, one pumping station, park connecting channels, and greening projects, with a total investment of 120 million yuan. Designed by Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning & Design Institute and constructed by Nanjing Zhongshan Landscape Co., Ltd., construction began in November 2009 and opened to the public in May 2010.

Xiangyuan Bridge and Huaiyuan Bridge

Xiangyuan Bridge derives its name from the surrounding lotus flowers. “Xiangyuan” comes from the famous line in Zhou Dunyi’s “Love for the Lotus”: “Its fragrance spreads afar, yet stays pure,” meaning its scent travels far. From the bridge, visitors can enjoy views of both riverbanks.

Of all the flowers that grow on land or in water, there are many lovely ones. Since the time of the Jin dynasty, Tao Yuanming alone loved the chrysanthemum. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, people have loved the peony most. But I alone love the lotus, which grows out of the mud yet is unstained, washed by clear ripples yet not coquettish; it is hollow inside and straight outside, without tendrils or branches; its fragrance spreads afar, and it stands upright and clean. It can be admired from afar but not profaned.

Huaiyuan Bridge: The name "Huaiyuan" of Huaiyuan Bridge is taken from the poem "Gazing at the Moon and Thinking of Distant Friends" by Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty, symbolizing an ambitious and far-reaching vision. If the title of the poem sounds unfamiliar to you, you’ve surely heard its verses:

Over the sea rises the moon bright;

We gaze on it far, far apart.

Lovers complain of long, long night;

They rise and long for their dear heart.

They blow out candles and pity the light,

Put on their clothes and feel dew so cool.

It’s hard to offer moonbeams in a handful,

So they go to bed to dream of a sweet rendezvous.

Eight Grand Memorial Arches

Ten tall memorial archways stand along the Canal Chinatown, eight of which are named Shangshan (Supreme Goodness), Jixian (Gathering of Sages), Chongde (Esteeming Virtue), Chengfu (Receiving Blessings), Shengle (Prosperous Joy), Yongtai (Everlasting Peace)... Each name embodies a cultural aspiration of Canal Chinatown, encapsulating the humanistic spirit and noble hopes of the people who have lived along the canal for over a century.

Shangshan Archway: "Shangshan" is derived from Chapter 8 of Laozi's Dao De Jing: "The highest goodness is like water, which benefits all things without contending." It means that water has the virtue of nourishing all things, benefiting them without conflicting with them. Therefore, the greatest goodness in the world is like water. A good person is like water, which nourishes all things without contending with them. This sentence uses water as a metaphor for a person of noble character.

Jixian Archway: As the name suggests, "Jixian" refers to gathering talented and virtuous individuals.

Chongde Archway: "Chongde" comes from the saying "Because of the mountain, one esteems virtue," meaning that when one is awed by the grandeur of a mountain, one reflects on one's own insignificance and thus admires those with noble virtue.

Chengfu Archway: "Chengfu" means to receive blessings. As recorded in "Book of Han, Biography of Emperor Xuan": "Heaven is pleased, and the whole realm receives blessings."