Haitang Park

Haitang Park

Haitang Park

Haitang Park is located near the mouth of Xiangdaoxi River in the western part of the county town. It consists of the Haitang Bridge and the nearby, recently reconstructed ancient-style Haitang Pavilion, HuaiGu Pavilion, Huaihai Temple, the statue of Qin Guan, and a museum. The park spans an area bordered to the south by the Port Station, starting from the ring road, extending west to the highway bridge, and facing the Yu River to the east.

The area features an elegant environment and a concentration of historic sites; weeping willows sway along both sides of the Haitang Bridge and the banks of Xiangdaoxi.

The six-pillared, two-story hexagonal Haitang Pavilion and the four-pillared HuaiGu Pavilion with flying eaves are built along the river, standing at either end of the Haitang Bridge, making them ideal spots for viewing the Haitang blossoms, the Yu River, and the county town scenery. The river mouth where Xiangdaoxi flows into the Yu River beneath the bridge is a favorite fishing spot. Within the shaded grounds of the ancient banyan tree north of HuaiGu Pavilion lies Haitang Park; in recent years, the newly built Huaihai Temple, the newly crafted statue of Qin Guan, and an array of inscribed stone tablets have preserved its classical charm. In the northwest corner, a new two-story antique-glazed building—the Hengxian Museum—houses a collection of precious cultural relics excavated and gathered over the years, including “The Picture of Confucius’ Apricot Altar,” jade bi and bronze drums, various coins, stoneware, porcelain, and items related to the daily life and production of the Zhuang people. Here, visitors can gain an in-depth understanding of over 2,100 years of Hengxian’s cultural and historical evolution, as well as appreciate the wisdom of the descendants of the Luoyue people.

Of particular note is the Haitang Bridge. Oriented from northeast to southwest, it is constructed of bluestone, measuring 32 meters in length, 4 meters in width, with a single arch spanning 9.3 meters, a bridge height of 8 meters, and an arch thickness of 1.7 meters. Historical records indicate that the bridge was originally built in the pre-Song era as a wooden structure, and was repaired during the Ming and Song dynasties. It was rebuilt with stone instead of wood during the Qing Dynasty, and remains standing to this day. Named for the once-plentiful haitang (crabapple) trees in the vicinity, the bridge gained literary fame through the Song dynasty poet Qin Guan’s verse during his time in Hengzhou: “After the miasmic rain passes, the haitang blooms—how many more blossoms have appeared?” It has now become an iconic landmark of Hengxian.