East Lake Tingtao Scenic Area

East Lake Tingtao Scenic Area

The East Lake Tingtao Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Located on the northwest shore of East Lake, the East Lake Tingtao Scenic Area is the earliest developed and opened section of the East Lake Scenic Area. This area features a cluster of attractions commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, as well as a newly built sandy beach bathing area, making it a great place for people to cool off, enjoy the summer nights, play by the water, and relax. Major scenic spots in the area include the Xingyin Pavilion, Changtian Tower, the Nine Maidens’ Mound Monument, the Lakeview Pavilion, the Fable Sculpture Garden, and the Bitan Fish-Viewing Area.

☆ Xingyin Pavilion: Situated on a small island in the middle of the northwest shore of East Lake, it was built in 1955. Surrounded by water on all sides, it is connected to the land via the He Feng and Luo Yu bridges. The pavilion’s name is derived from the line in “Chu Ci · The Fisherman”: “After Qu Yuan was exiled, he wandered by the river, chanting by the marsh.” The pavilion is a reinforced concrete structure imitating wood, standing 22.5 meters tall with a square base and a four-cornered pyramidal roof, giving it an antique charm. The Xingyin Pavilion is both majestic and graceful, rich in ethnic flavor. In front of the pavilion stands a full-body statue of Qu Yuan, 3.6 meters tall with a 3.2-meter pedestal, portraying him with a solemn and composed demeanor, gazing up at the sky as if ready to step forward.

(Qu Yuan, whose given name was Ping (340–278 BC), was a native of Zigui during the Warring States period. He was an outstanding statesman and a great patriotic poet. Initially serving under King Huai of Chu, he held the position of Sanlv Dafu. He proposed a series of sound governance policies to King Huai, implementing progressive domestic policies such as “appointing the virtuous and capable” and pursuing the strategic vision of “allying with Qi to resist Qin,” which helped establish Chu as a dominant power in the south for a time. However, after being slandered by treacherous court officials, King Huai distanced himself from Qu Yuan and exiled him to the north of the Han River. When King Xiang of Chu ascended the throne, he became even more incompetent and exiled Qu Yuan even further to the south of the Yangtze River, banning him from any involvement in state affairs permanently. In 278 BC, when the Qin army captured the Chu capital, the 62-year-old Qu Yuan, who had spent twenty years in exile in the south, witnessed the fall of his country and family. Filled with grief and indignation, he drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.)

☆ Changtian Tower: A palace-style building with ethnic characteristics, it was constructed in 1956 with a brick, wood, and cement structure, featuring green tiles and upturned eaves. It has two floors, with seven bays in width and two in depth. The entire tower can accommodate a thousand people for dining and tea tasting at the same time. Visitors can gaze out the windows at the vast expanse of blue waves, evoking the feeling of “sunset clouds flying together with a lone duck, autumn waters blending with the boundless sky in one hue.”

☆ Chu Culture Park: Located 150 meters north of Liyuan Square, covering an area of 3.16 hectares, it features Chu cultural sculptures such as the “Fifty-One Beast Screen,” Mandarin Duck Beans, and Praying for Rain, as well as native Hubei plants like lotus, orange, mulberry, and wild rose.

☆ Nine Maidens’ Mound: Situated on a small hill in the northwest of East Lake, about 200 meters northeast of the Chu Culture Park, it was built to commemorate the nine female heroes of the Taiping Rebellion who valiantly fought against the Qing army and sacrificed their lives by the shores of East Lake. The monument is 8 meters high, built with granite, with six bronze bells hanging from the top. Its front and side feature inscriptions written by -, Soong Ching-ling, Guo Moruo, and others. In 1956, Hubei Province designated it as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

Lakeview Pavilion: Built on a small island in the center of the lake, it is connected to the land by a ten-li-long causeway. Originally named “Zhongzheng Pavilion,” it was constructed in 1931 to commemorate Chiang Kai-shek’s 50th birthday, and later renamed “Lakeview Pavilion.” The pavilion has three floors and six sides, with upturned eaves and green tiles. From the top, visitors can admire the moving scenery of boats drifting by. On misty days, when the water and sky blend into one, the pavilion appears like a paradise in the mist, truly captivating.

☆ Bitan Fish-Viewing Area: Adjacent to the Lakeside Painting Corridor, this is a garden architectural complex featuring natural lakes with winding bridges, pavilions, and corridors. It houses over 80 varieties of goldfish, allowing visitors to stroll along the corridors and observe the fish. The surrounding area is filled with rippling blue waters and lush lotus leaves, creating a view that blends into the green.

Fable Sculpture Garden: The garden features 23 sets of sculptures based on ancient fable stories, such as “The Blind Men and the Elephant” and “The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains.” It is China’s first fable sculpture garden.

☆ Sandy Beach Bathing Area: Located opposite the Xingyin Pavilion, adjacent to the Lakeview Pavilion, it covers an area of approximately 70,000 square meters. The lake area includes features such as seabed-like reefs, classical European sailboats, Lovers’ Island, and landscape ornaments, along with recreational activities like beach volleyball and beach motorcycles. The European-style service area provides comfortable amenities for visitors.

East Lake Tingtao Scenic Area Ticket: Free admission