Tianjin Ningyuan Garden

　　Ningyuan Garden is located north of Tianjin North Railway Station, on the north side of Zhongshan North Road and the south side of Yuhong Road, covering an area of 45.65 hectares, including 11.7 hectares of water surface.

　　Ningyuan Garden is a historic garden landscape. The park was originally an official planting garden established in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1906 (the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty), Yuan Shikai, the Viceroy of Zhili, in order to implement new policies, assigned Zhou Xuexi to establish a planting garden near Tianjin North Railway Station under the name of the Bureau of Arts and Crafts. The lake and garden were officially constructed in 1907 (the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign). With the idea of building a temporary palace for Empress Dowager Cixi within the garden, the architectural planning and design were remarkably ingenious. “At the initial construction of the garden, a lake was dug, hills were piled up, canals were dug to manage the water flow, and sluices were installed to divert water. The lake was connected to the Jinzhong River outside the garden, ensuring proper drainage. Three pavilion rooms were built in the garden, named Jian Shui Xuan (Mirror Water Pavilion).”

　　During the Republic of China period, amid warlord conflicts, the planting garden gradually fell into disrepair. In 1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China), the Beining Railway Bureau purchased the garden and planned to expand and develop it into a public park. Drawing from the phrase in Zhuge Liang’s “Admonition to His Son”—“Without serenity, nothing great can be achieved”—it was named “Ningyuan” (Garden of Serenity), and a stele was erected in the pavilion corridor. The park followed the techniques of classical Chinese garden design, building upon the original planting garden by adding new classical structures such as the Hongguan Tower, Daya Hall, Zhiqian Auditorium, Library, Four-Sided Hall, Fishing Terrace, as well as ponds, pavilions, bridges, corridors, and winding paths. The landscape design exhibited distinct imperial garden characteristics: red beams and green pillars, colorful painted eaves, stacked hills and managed waters, and secluded winding paths. Especially notable is the over 2,000-meter-long corridor, which rivals the world-famous Long Corridor of the Old Summer Palace. The lakes and canals within the garden are well-integrated and connected by more than 30 arch bridges and small bridges. Weeping willows line the shores, pavilions are scattered among them, corridors wind elegantly, evoking a subtle charm and presenting a uniquely beautiful natural landscape. Ningyuan Garden was the first park in China’s railway system and, because it was owned by the Beining Railway Bureau, was also known as Beining Park.

　　In 1937, during the Japanese invasion of China, the southeastern part of Beining Park became a Japanese military barracks, and the lakeside buildings in the park were converted into a Japanese military hospital, leaving only a pathway from the west gate to the Four-Sided Hall as an open tour route. Although it was fully reopened after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it was not renovated and fell into disrepair.

　　After the liberation, Ningyuan Garden underwent several renovations. The original classical garden structures were preserved and restored, and new constructions such as Shuyun Platform, Changguan Tower, Diecui Palace, Cinema, Flower Exhibition Hall, Zhiyuan Pagoda, and Hot Spring Hotel were added. These formed ten scenic spots: Lotus Fragrance Overlooking the Scenery, Winding Streams of Victory, Purple Pavilion Evergreen, Roses Filling the Garden, Fish Leaping and Kites Flying, Lotus Pot Layered in Green, Meandering Waters of Yingzhou, Calm Waves Watching Fish, Defiant Spring Beauty, and Serenity Leading to Farsightedness. Dozens of couplets and plaques were commissioned from renowned calligraphers and artists, creating a poetic and harmonious atmosphere. As the park was under the administration of the Tianjin Railway Branch, Ningyuan Garden was once temporarily renamed “Railway Workers’ Cultural Palace” and “Erqi Park.”

　　Beining Park has undergone multiple developments since the late Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China, and after the liberation. Its landscape architecture and historical relics from various periods are exceptionally rich, making it the largest and most completely preserved modern public garden in the city in its original form.

　　In February 2010, entrusted by the Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, the Hebei District Party Committee and District Government carried out an upgrading and renovation project for Ningyuan Garden. Emphasizing the three major landscape features of “water system, pavilions and corridors, towers and halls,” the project followed traditional methods to restore the old appearance, reflecting historical and cultural heritage and recreating the charm of this century-old famous garden.

　　Address: No. 1, Zhongshan North Road, Hebei District

　　Phone: 60836726

Tianjin Ningyuan Garden is aAAAA-level attraction