Longquan Park in Jingmen City

　　    Longquan Park in Jingmen is situated in the urban area of Jingmen City, Hubei Province. It is a new type of comprehensive park that features both local characteristics and a modern vibe. After Jingmen became a provincial-level municipality in 1983, the municipal government began planning Longquan Park. Construction started in 1986, and the park had a soft opening in early 1987. It has since become a venue for leisure, entertainment, education, social interaction, and aesthetic appreciation for local residents, serving as an important window showcasing the material and spiritual civilization of Jingmen City. Since 1989, it has been honored with titles such as “Best Municipal Civilized Unit,” “Provincial Civilized Unit,” and “National Advanced Unit in Spiritual Civilization Construction in the Construction System,” and has been included in the “Famous Gardens of China.”

　　    Jingmen has a long history and rich cultural heritage. After becoming a provincial-level municipality in 1983, the municipal government initiated the planning of Longquan Park, with construction beginning in 1986 and a soft opening in early 1987. Since its establishment, through the care and support of successive governments and all sectors of society, and the hard work of all staff members, Longquan Park has fully leveraged the role of a public welfare institution. It has developed into a new type of comprehensive park with local characteristics and a modern feel. It serves as a place for citizens to relax, entertain, educate, interact, and appreciate beauty, and is an important showcase of the city’s material and spiritual development. The park reflects the cultural legacy of notable historical figures from the Spring and Autumn Period such as Lao Laizi, as well as those from the Tang and Song dynasties including Lu Guimeng, the great calligrapher Huang Tingjian, the Three Scholars of the Su School, and Lu Jiuyuan, right up to the modern era of anti-Japanese heritage. The entire park is situated against mountains and by the water. Centered around Xiangshan Mountain (known as Mengshan before the Southern Song Dynasty), it takes full advantage of its unique cultural, natural landscapes, and geographical location to create the realm of “Gazing at the Vastness of Chu Skies.” On the mountain, there are attractions such as Huaxia Art Garden, Lan Guang Pavilion, Lao Laizi Villa (a wax museum of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars), Xiaoyin Pavilion, Guande Pavilion, and Yangzhi Pavilion. At the foot of the mountain, there are facilities like an amusement park, a bonsai garden, a flower garden, the Temple of Lu Fuzi, Wenming Lake, exhibition rooms for historical officials, the Tang’an Heritage Hall, the Zhang Zizhong Memorial Hall, Yueyuan Pavilion, and the four springs: Long, Meng, Hui, and Shun.

　　    Planning and Layout

　　    Longquan Park in Jingmen

　　    The planned area of the park is 78 hectares (with land ownership issues existing for 66 hectares in the Xiangshan scenic area). It is divided into a youth activity zone, a bonsai garden zone, a cultural heritage zone, and a Xiangshan natural landscape zone. The park currently has fixed assets worth over 16 million yuan, employs 125 staff members, and receives nearly 1 million visitors annually. The park houses more than 120 plant species and over 1,000 varieties, along with more than 30 types of wildlife, and has over 30,000 pots of various flowers and bonsai. The park hosts events such as flower and bonsai exhibitions, Spring Festival park visits, summer cooling park visits, and exchanges in science, culture, and academia every year. With the care and support of successive governments, Longquan Park has continuously developed with the times. Since 1989, it has been awarded honors such as “Best Municipal Civilized Unit,” “Provincial Civilized Unit,” and “National Advanced Unit in Spiritual Civilization Construction in the Construction System,” and has been included in the “Famous Gardens of China.” Huaxia Art Garden was built in 1993 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the city’s founding and to host the Huaxia Art Festival. Covering five hectares with an investment of 3.4 million yuan, it consists of two parts: Lan Guang Pavilion and a sculpture group of literary and art figures. Lan Guang Pavilion was built in 1986 on the site of the Qing Dynasty’s Wangyun Tower. It has three stories, and from the top, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Jingmen City. The sculpture group of literary and art figures plans to feature 108 statues of contemporary art celebrities. To date, 24 granite statues of figures such as Ma Ji and Mi Nanyang have been installed, each with unique designs.

　　    Three Major Scenic Areas

　　    Longquan Park in Jingmen

　　    Longquan Park covers an area of 28 hectares and is divided into three major scenic areas: the mountain scenery is centered around the main peak of Xiangshan Mountain, featuring Lan Guang Pavilion, Huaxia Art Garden, Lao Laizi Villa (which houses a wax museum of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars), a zoo, Xiaoyin Pavilion, Yangzhi Pavilion... and a mountain-side walking trail over a thousand meters long on the eastern side of Xiangshan. The scenic area at the foot of the mountain consists of three parts: an amusement park, Yizhi Garden, and the cultural heritage area of Wenming Lake. The park contains over 200 plant species and more than a thousand varieties, along with over 30,000 pots of various flowers and bonsai. Yearly events include fixed exhibitions of daffodils, roses, and chrysanthemums in bonsai form, as well as Spring Festival and summer park visit activities. The park can also host and organize various exhibitions and other events. In 1999, it was listed as one of China’s Hundred Famous Gardens.

　　    Scenic Highlights

　　    Longquan Academy

　　    Located by Wenming Lake, Longquan Academy was built in the 19th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1754 AD). It is a long-established and well-known academy in the Jianghan region. The original layout of the academy consisted of three halls, two pavilions, two study rooms, and two studios, with two additional floors added 130 years later. Later, when China abolished the imperial examination system, Longquan Academy was renamed Longquan Middle School in the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign (1906 AD). It is now a key high school in Hubei Province and a municipal-level key cultural relic protection unit in Jingmen. Within Longquan Academy are structures such as Baihe Pavilion (originally named Tingquan Pavilion), Xixin Pavilion, Yude Hall, Dongshan Thatched Cottage, Chunhua Pavilion, Qiushi Pavilion, Jingye Studio, Lequn Studio, and Fangtang Book House. Looking up at the mountainside of Xiangshan from Longquan Academy, you can see Yangzhi Pavilion and Guande Pavilion. On the back slope of Longquan, there are shrines for the Spring God and Xishan. Gazing toward Yushan Mountain, which stands opposite Xiangshan, you will find Gan Yu Pavilion. Higher than Yushan is Bailong Mountain, which has the Bailong Temple, Lin Cang Pavilion, and Han Pavilion—collectively known as the Ten Pavilions of Longquan.

　　    Famous Springs of Xiangshan

　　    Four clear springs gush forth at the eastern foot of Xiangshan Mountain, converging into Wenming Lake, then flowing into Zhupi River, traversing the urban area, and eventually entering the Han River. These are the four famous springs of Xiangshan renowned throughout the Jianghan region: Long, Meng, Hui, and Shun. Meng Spring is named after the original Mengshan (the former name of Xiangshan). Hui Spring emerged after Meng Spring and is called Hui (meaning “beneficial”) because it is a slightly warm spring, thus more agreeable than Meng Spring. In the 11th year of the Qianlong reign (1740 AD), Governor Shu Chenglong of Zhizhou built Lailong Stone Bridge over Zhupi River. Quarried nearby, he excavated a spring between Meng Spring and Hui Spring and unearthed a stone stele inscribed with a poem from the Xining era of the Southern Song Dynasty by Lu Yuan, the military governor of Jingmen: “The spring’s abundant flow does great work in moistening all; / A trickling brook connects to the sea’s eye through a craggy wall. / When harvests are rich and seasons mild, rain comes in time; / Calm winds and clouds forever hover o’er White Dragon’s hall.” Based on the last line of the poem, Shu Chenglong named this spring Long Spring. Shun Spring is named after Lao Laizi Villa, as Lao Laizi was a renowned filial son, and the spring was named in his honor.

　　    Lao Laizi Villa

　　    This was the estate where Lao Laizi, a famous philosopher and founder of Taoism during China’s Spring and Autumn Period, lived in seclusion, farming and supporting his parents. It is one of the “Three Terraces and Eight Scenic Spots” in Jingmen’s history. The villa covers 0.25 hectares. After an investment of 3.55 million yuan in 1993, it was opened on a trial basis. It is divided into a main hall, side halls, and east and west gates. The halls display wax sculptures depicting the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, such as “Laozi Entertains His Parents with Colorful Clothes” and “Filial Piety Moves Heaven.” It serves as a base for research on Laozi and for traditional moral education among the general public.

　　    Temple of Lu Fuzi

　　    Also known as the Temple of Lu Wen’an, this was where Lu Jiuyuan, a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and educator of the Southern Song Dynasty, lectured in Jingmen. Rebuilt in 1993 on the foundation of a Qing Dynasty-era stone-and-timber quadrangle from the Qianlong period, the temple cost 1.217 million yuan to construct. It currently houses the Jingmen Historical Officials Exhibition Room and the Zhang Zizhong Memorial Hall. The bonsai garden was built in 1993 on the site of the historical Tang’an Ancient Temple and Yizhi Garden in Jingmen. Covering one hectare, it consists of 15 sets of imitation Qing-style buildings with gray tiles, white walls, red pillars, including terraces, platforms, towers, pavilions, and corridors. It is a venue for bonsai production, hosting large exhibitions, and providing leisure space for residents.

　　    Travel Information

　　    Location: West side of the southern end of Xiangshan Avenue, urban area of Jingmen City, Hubei Province. Opening Hours: All day Admission Fee: Free Transportation Overview: Located opposite the commercial center of Jingmen – Zhongtian Street. Take city bus routes 1 (outer loop), 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 (inner loop), 15, 16, 18, 19, 29, etc., and get off at the First People’s Hospital stop. Best Time to Visit: Jingmen is located in central Hubei, in the transitional climate zone between north and south. It has a subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature of about 17°C. The climate is warm and humid. Spring weather is changeable, summer sees concentrated rainfall, and autumn is the best season for travel.

　　    Address: Xiangshan Avenue, Dongbao District, Jingmen City, Hubei Province

　　    Opening Hours:

　　    Monday–Sunday (open all day)