Zhaoqing Archway Square

　　The Seven Star Crags Archway was built in 1958 and is an iconic landmark of Zhaoqing City. The color scheme of the Archway Square design includes red, green, and sky blue, and its overall layout is bold, passionate, and bright. This traditional style of layout has left an unforgettable impression on people. Today, the combination of the Seven Star Crags Archway, Archway Square, and the colorful musical fountain has become a major symbol of Zhaoqing Archway Square culture, as it resonates with people’s sentiments of nostalgia, fantasy, and a desire to return to nature.

　　　

　　After the buildings on both sides of the Seven Star Crags Archway were demolished, they were replaced by symmetrically constructed steps, flower stands, mushroom-shaped water curtain pavilions, and a figure-eight nine-tier cascading fountain. It is these green and flowing features that enhance the grandeur, clarity, and vibrancy of the archway surrounded by kapok trees. When night falls and the lights come on, the decorated neon lights create a dazzling display, making the archway even more magnificent. Whether by day or by night, the square is bustling with crowds—people taking photos, exchanging martial arts techniques, or playing with children… It’s truly delightful.

　　　The Archway Square was officially opened to the public on November 6, 1994. As the square is the first connection point between the urban area and Star Lake, featuring a large area, heavy foot traffic, and excellent promotional impact, many events are held here, such as information sessions, photo exhibitions, landscape photography exhibitions, children’s “Celebrating Reunification” art exhibits from Zhaoqing and Hong Kong, high school exchange camp activities, song and dance evenings, lakeside runs, and cycling tours around the lake, among others. Yet, more commonly, the square sees crowds of people—both familiar and unfamiliar—gathering each morning either spontaneously or in organized groups to practice martial arts, swordplay, running, dancing, or doing exercises… One morning in June this year, 27 elderly American tourists, upon arriving at the square, instinctively took up positions and started learning Tai Chi together.

　　On November 22, 1996, a cultural performance event aimed at promoting Zhaoqing’s efforts to become a National Model Tourism City, showcasing the city’s spiritual civilization, and enriching the cultural life of its citizens kicked off at the Archway Square, ushering in a new wave of enthusiasm for the square's cultural scene. Since then, scheduled song and dance performances on the square’s stage have been fixed, with one show every Saturday and one to three additional performances on holidays. By August 10, 1997, a total of 47 shows had been staged, attracting nearly 500,000 viewers. The Archway Square stage has thus become a broad platform for the citizens and visitors of Zhaoqing to enjoy, showcase, and participate in artistic activities.

　　On November 6, 1994, the colorful musical fountain at the Archway Square was launched to unprecedented fanfare. Word spread quickly, and tourists flocked in from afar. From its inauguration until August 10, 1997, the fountain had performed 764 shows, drawing a cumulative total of 4.96 million visitors.

　　The expansion of the Archway Square is indeed a great boon, providing the public and travelers with a fresh-air activity space where they can find their own sources of enjoyment.

　　The Archway Square has now developed into a dazzling cultural landmark in Zhaoqing. The culture of the Archway Square encompasses archway sightseeing, square cultural activities, and colorful musical fountain performances. It is an outdoor cultural phenomenon and a window into Zhaoqing’s efforts in building spiritual civilization. In fact, the emergence and development of the Archway Square culture align well with Zhaoqing’s unique cultural context. The city has a dense population, many migrants, and crowded living conditions. Coupled with the fact that the Archway Square uniquely blends its cultural landscape with the lake and mountain scenery of the Seven Star Crags, these factors form the prerequisite for the rapid growth of the Archway Square culture.