NanChong Beihu Park

NanChong Beihu Park

NanChong Beihu Park is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Beihu Park is located in the city center of Nanchong. It is a comprehensive garden that blends natural scenery with cultural landscapes, integrating culture, entertainment, and leisure.

Beihu is an ancient body of water. During the Han Dynasty, it was known as the “Fish Pond,” and in the Ming Dynasty, it was called “Beihu.” In the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Magistrate Rao Jingyun built the “Jiahu Academy” by the lake, hence it was also called “Jiahu.” In the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919), double-petal lotus flowers from Tianchi in Lezhi were introduced into the lake, so it was also referred to as “Lotus Pond.” When the park was established in 1984, it was officially named “Beihu,” and [a person’s name] inscribed the plaque “Nanchong Beihu Park.”

This lake was originally a low-lying area. Due to gradual sedimentation, its size changed continuously, and its boundaries were also unclear. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, monks from the Bao'en Temple near the northwest of the lake repeatedly sold parts of it as farmland, often leading to disputes with local village militias. In the 38th year of the Qinglong Emperor’s reign (i.e., 1773 during the Qing Dynasty), a county magistrate surnamed Chen measured the circumference of the lake as 822 “gong” (a unit of length), and then erected a stele explicitly forbidding encroachment within these boundaries, thus preserving the scale of the water surface. When the park was built in 1984, over 140 additional acres of land around the water were acquired, bringing the total area of the park to 210 acres.

Beihu has historically been closely tied to the development of Nanchong’s cultural heritage. Since the establishment of Anhan County in the early Western Han Dynasty, it has been a place frequented by local officials, gentry, and commoners. The villa of Chen Yiqin, a prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, was located next to the Bao’en Temple on the northwest bank of the lake. His son, Chen Yubi, studied under Ren Han in his youth at the Jinquan Academy near Wanjuan Tower at the foot of Guoshan in the western part of the city, and he often visited Beihu. In the 22nd year of the Wanli era (1594), he also rose to the position of prime minister—historically, the Chens of Nanchong are the only father-son duo to have both held that office. Chen Yiqin placed great importance on cultural and educational advancement. In the 4th year of the Longqing era (1570), upon retiring at age 60 and returning to Nanchong, he built the Jinquan Academy in the western part of the city. At the same time, Magistrate Rao Jingyun also constructed the Jiahu (Jialing) Academy by the lake. In the 29th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1764), Magistrate Shen Dannian and his successor, Magistrate Shen Qing, built the Maoshu Academy near Beihu. In the 25th year of the Guangxu era (1899), County Magistrate Ma Daojie renamed the Maoshu Academy to Zhufeng Academy.

In March 1960, Chinese leaders including Zhu De, He Long, Luo Ruiqing, and Kang Keqing visited Nanchong for inspection and went fishing at Beihu.

Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, most buildings in the city were low-rise. The Song Dynasty White Pagoda on Heling Mountain on the eastern bank of the Jialing River was reflected clearly in the pool, forming one of Nanchong’s Eight Scenic Spots—“Reflections in the Lotus Pond”—which complemented the floral patterns and waters in the pond.

Address: No. 369 Wenhua Road, Shunqing District, Nanchong City

Type: Urban Park

Phone: 0817-2807938

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

Free admission.