Riverside Cultural and Leisure Area

Riverside Cultural and Leisure Area

The Riverside Cultural and Leisure Area is one of the core scenic zones of the Jialing First Hometown tourism district. It features multiple landscapes and facilities, including the Passion Gate, Jiangzi Tower, Fishing-Farming-Mulberry Sculpture, Bronze Statues, Beautiful Waterfalls, Couple Trees, Lovers’ Building, Divine Dragon Spring, and Wooden Plank Walkways. It serves as the best riverside spot for visitors to get close to the Jialing River and the best place to experience the Jialing River’s farming culture.

1. 【Passion Gate】

The Passion Gate consists of 35 passion pillars, embodying the grandeur of Han and Tang dynasty architecture. Legend has it that Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun fell in love at first sight. Zhuo Wenjun’s maid composed an acrostic poem: “A song on the zither, a phoenix seeking its mate; seeing your charm stirs more than wistful fate. Love has always been hard to confess outright, but when it runs deep, sorrow cuts like a knife.” This poem helped create their everlasting romantic tale. Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun supported each other for 26 years. After Sima passed away, Zhuo Wenjun lived on alone for another 9 years, making a total of 35 years. To commemorate their first love and 35 years of enduring romance, we created these 35 passion pillars and named the structure the Passion Gate.

2. 【Fishing, Farming, and Mulberry Sculptures】

These bronze ground sculptures use imagery to explain the meaning of “hometown” (sang zi).

The bronze “Mulberry” sculpture vividly showcases the sericulture culture of the Jialing River basin. It features a heartwarming rural scene of silkworm breeding — with silkworms, cocoons, mulberry leaves, a farm woman, a child, and a dog — all full of life and charm, bringing the countryside culture of northeastern Sichuan to vivid life. Sima Xiangru’s hometown was known as the land of silk. People had been planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms here since before the Han Dynasty. The long-standing sericulture culture brought glory to Sima Xiangru’s native land and laid a solid foundation for future economic and social development. From these tangible, elegant cultural symbols, we can truly appreciate the beauty and romance of labor.

The bronze “Farming” sculpture depicts a man, a plow, an ox, and tilled soil, illustrating the traditional plowing scene of northeastern Sichuan. It allows visitors to feel the essence of the saying, “Who knows that every grain on the plate comes from hard toil?” In ancient times, to pray for the ox’s safety and a bountiful harvest, people designated the 18th day of the third lunar month as the traditional Farming Culture Festival — the Ox King Festival. On this day, people gather for blessings and celebrations.

The bronze “Fishing” sculpture portrays a poetic and picturesque scene of an old fisherman and his cormorant fishing together. Fishing culture is another key feature of the Jialing River basin. The Jialing River, our mother river, not only provides abundant water resources and diverse ecosystems, but also yields plump, delicious fish that serve as a staple food or key economic resource for riverside residents.

3. 【Divine Dragon Spring】

Named for its proximity to the God of Wealth Tower and Dragon Horn Mountain, the Divine Dragon Spring has many legends associated with it. One story tells of an old woman who became blind from hard labor. Her devoted son carried her around seeking medical help, but none cured her blindness. When they passed by this spring, suffering from the scorching heat and thirst, they drank from its waters. After just a few sips, they felt refreshed and invigorated. The son then used the water to wash his mother’s and his own face. Not long after returning home, the old woman’s eyes miraculously healed, and her son’s face grew more handsome. When news spread, people flocked here to fetch water for tea and cooking. The original water source was simple, so we beautified it, creating the current image resembling a dragon spurting water. We also added a reservoir to keep the water cleaner and safer. Water tests have confirmed its good quality.

4. 【Couple Trees and Lovers’ House】

A graceful banyan tree embraces a sturdy honey locust tree, growing together as one — a rare and inseparable bond, truly a match made in heaven. We call them the “Couple Trees.” Legend says that after Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun returned to their hometown, they often walked hand in hand along the banks of the Jialing River. Their romantic spirit moved the heavens, and after their departure, two intertwined trees grew here, as if symbolizing their love. ... To honor their romantic bond, we built a Lovers’ House nearby. We hope that all couples who visit here will be blessed by their aura, making their love more passionate, intense, and enduring. It is said that by locking a lovers’ padlock, pressing your palms together, silently praying with your beloved, and then securing the lock on the chains under the house, you can lock your hearts, your life-long love, and your eternal bond together — keeping romance and love alive forever. The dozens of padlocks already locked here represent the heartfelt wishes of those couples.