Guigang East Lake Park

Guigang East Lake Park

The predecessor of East Lake Park was Zhongshan Park, located to the east of the city area. The East Lake was anciently known as Dongjing, also called Luyun Pond. It is formed by the convergence of more than 20 large and small lotus ponds, hence commonly referred to as Datang (the Big Pond). In the southeast of East Lake, during the Yongzheng reign (1823 AD), a Denglong Bridge was built using white stone, stretching from north to south across the lake, resembling a giant dragon. A stone stele inscribed with the two characters “East Lake” (东湖) by Chen Li, a renowned calligrapher and high-ranking official of the late Qing Dynasty, stands at the head of the bridge. In the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), Li Shuxi, then the magistrate of Guixian County, established Zhongshan Park around the lake. In the 23rd year of the Republic of China, Magistrate Ou Yangxi constructed the Yiwang Pavilion, the Memorial Stele of Shi Dakai, and the base of the tomb stele of Shi Dakai’s great-grandmother within the park. After the liberation, the county government allocated funds to build a Revolutionary Martyrs’ Monument in the park, as well as an island in the lake, a swimming pool, and other facilities.

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the government allocated funds multiple times for renovation and expansion. A new reinforced concrete “Boat Pavilion” was built, with the main building being two stories high (12 meters) and 30 meters long, totaling an area of 300 square meters on both floors, making it the tallest structure in the park. There is also a children's playground equipped with over 10 types of automatic and self-controlled amusement devices such as rotating airplanes, slides, swings, monkey bars, elephant rides, merry-go-rounds, and electric cars. Three bridges were constructed, among which the Dakai Bridge stretches from the land across the lake surface directly to the lake center island. A new stele base for the ferry monument was built next to the Yiwang Pavilion. On the lake center island, a new bronze statue of Shi Dakai was erected, standing 3.15 meters tall, 1.5 meters wide, and 2.2 meters thick. Additionally, sculptures such as the “Lotus Fairy,” “Crane,” and “ roc” were built in the lake.

East Lake Park features shimmering lake waters, shaded woods, lush green lawns, and blooming flowers, offering a beautiful environment and pleasant scenery — an ideal place for recreation and relaxation. “Lotus Swallows of East Lake” has been named one of the newly selected Eight Scenic Spots of Guigang.

The current total area of the park is 744.5 mu, including 668 mu of water surface. It is the largest inland lake park in Guangxi.