Central Water Park

Central Water Park

Central Water Park is located in the northern new district of Renshou, stretching from Longtan Avenue in the north to Renshou Avenue in the south. Construction began in August 2014 and was completed in October 2015. It is a core component of the Central Business Boulevard and a great destination for leisure and shopping. The park was designed by the internationally acclaimed Canadian water landscape design firm B+H Architects and constructed by Chengyu Company, a provincial state-owned enterprise. The park stretches 1,627 meters in length and 120 meters in width, and is divided into three zones from Longtan Avenue to Renshou Avenue: the first zone themed “Flowing Streams Among Flowers, A Gathering of Delights,” the second zone themed “Ecological Harmony, Rhythmic Interweaving,” and the third zone centered around a large fountain at a traffic roundabout and themed around water play activities.

[Zone One]

As the welcoming area of Central Water Park, Zone One uses a sequence of plazas and winding paths, contrasting open lawns with dense woods, and creating a dialogue between murmuring streams and roaring waterfalls, offering visitors a unique experience of both vibrancy and tranquility. The water feature design in the plaza area of Zone One aims to alleviate the site’s elevation changes through cascading water, bringing people closer to the water surface and enhancing interaction. At the same time, the stepped waterfalls are integrated with scenic walls to maintain visual continuity and integrity. Looking down from the plaza platform, the serene woods, staggered waterfalls, and meandering streams create a delightful contrast, allowing visitors to enjoy the tranquility of nature while being in the midst of urban vibrancy. As the entrance plaza space connecting to Renshou Avenue, the water features primarily use dynamic and lively water as the main expression, presented in the form of a waterfall. “Hear the water before you see it” — the design makes full use of the existing elevation difference to create engaging water features, maintaining the vitality of the water and drawing crowds to the entrance plaza. At the same time, consideration is given to viewing platforms and orientations, allowing people to observe and interact with the water up close, offering varied experiences of water engagement.

[Zone Two]

The entire Zone Two is themed around water interaction, featuring more water platforms, small bridges, wooden boardwalks, and timber railings compared to Zones One and Three. Wood, as a natural and eco-friendly material, serves as the main medium for visitors to connect with nature. The project’s total paving area is about 40,000 square meters, with wooden paving covering one-tenth of that. The plant design in Zone Two mainly features herbaceous flowering plants that bloom in summer and autumn, creating a colorful and romantic waterside flower belt. Selected plants include pickerelweed, black-eyed Susan, verbena bonariensis, canna, and echinacea. These are complemented by evergreen backdrop trees and graceful weeping willows, providing an ideal spot for leisure and relaxation. The presence of wintersweet and plum blossoms helps fill the landscape during the winter months when it would otherwise be sparse.

[Zone Three]

Entering the water park from Longtan Avenue, the fountain at the roundabout is the highlight of the park’s water features. In terms of design concept, the main fountain area resembles an eye, with its outline derived from three stylized Chinese characters for “person,” highlighting the unique identity of Renshou. The plaza in Zone Three is also the largest plaza in the entire Central Water Park, covering an area of approximately 2,800 square meters. The plant design in the latter half of Zone Three mainly features jacaranda trees that bloom in summer, creating a romantic waterside experience space. It is also complemented by osmanthus and cottonrose hibiscus, which bloom in autumn, reflecting the vibrancy of the fall season. By mid-autumn, the sweet fragrance of osmanthus can be faintly sensed in the air.