Xiaogang Park

Xiaogang Park

Xiaogang Park is a cultural heritage site protected by Guangzhou Municipality.

Xiaogang Park is a specialized park dominated by bamboo groves, located in the southern section of Qianjin Road. Originally a river channel, marshland, and small hills, it was named after the ancient Xiaogang Bridge. With a total area of 167,000 square meters, including 47,300 square meters of water bodies, the park features crisscrossing bamboo-lined paths and over 120 varieties of bamboo. River channels run through the park, along with an artificial lake and elegant pavilions, terraces, corridors, and pavilions. Additionally, it preserves an ancient bridge with a history of over 400 years and a site of marine erosion rock formations.

Located in the southern section of Qianjin Road, Xiaogang Park was originally a river channel, marshland, and small hills. It was named after the ancient Xiaogang Bridge. With 47,300 square meters of water bodies, the park features crisscrossing bamboo-lined paths and over 120 varieties of bamboo. River channels run through the park, along with an artificial lake and beautifully designed pavilions, terraces, corridors, and pavilions. It also preserves an ancient bridge with a history of over 400 years and a site of marine erosion rock formations. As the finest of its kind in South China, it is also known as the “Bamboo Park.”

The central part of the park is the Island Scenic Area, naturally divided into four water bodies by the curves of the embankments. Each water area is equipped with waterside pavilions, forming four major scenic spots: “Sunflower Ripples,” “Layered Terraces in Green,” “Swirling Waves over Jade,” and “Palm Breeze Casting Shadows.” To the southeast of the park lies a red rock hill, its surface marked by the waves of time, serving as evidence of the sea turning into farmland. West of the red rock hill is a slope covered with bamboo groves, said to be the site where palace women of the Southern Han Dynasty practiced horse riding and archery, known as Zouma Hill. Nearby is the “Haizhu Youth Forest,” planted with cotton trees, casuarinas, and Norfolk pines. The northeastern part of the park is the Youth Activity Area, featuring over 20 recreational facilities such as bumper cars, sky cycles, sleds, racing cars, and forest hunting. Especially popular is the forest hunting activity, where laser-sensing models of various birds and animals are placed in an artificial forest, creating a fun and thrilling environment.

The landscaping art of Xiaogang Park adopts traditional Chinese garden design techniques, skillfully integrating recreational and viewing facilities with poetic and picturesque landscapes. High mounds are shaped into hills, while low platforms are dug into ponds, bringing life to the hills with water and enhancing the charm of water with the presence of hills, creating a delightful harmony. The park includes a flower hall, pavilions, waterside structures, flower stands, bridges, and scenic rocks. It is planted with hundreds of species of trees and shrubs, including bamboo, banyan, cotton trees, crape myrtle, Bauhinia, oleander, azaleas, and osmanthus, among which bamboo is the most abundant—with over 100 varieties such as Golden Bamboo, Goddess Bamboo, Tortoise-shell Bamboo, and Xiangfei Bamboo, the most in South China. When the breeze blows, it creates the unique scenery of swaying emerald hues and rustling bamboo paths, offering visitors a serene and elegant experience.

The Yungui Bridge located within the park was built in 1545 (the 24th year of the Jiajing reign in the Ming Dynasty) by the Ming Dynasty official He Weibo, and is one of the oldest stone bridges still existing in Guangzhou. Spanning the Haizhu Channel, the bridge is constructed from blue granite, with a total length of 32.2 meters and a width of 3.38 meters. The bridge piers and the stone railings and columns on both sides of the bridge are simply designed, yet exude an ancient and elegant charm. It is now listed as a cultural heritage site protected by Guangzhou Municipality.