Linxia East Suburb Park

　　The East Suburb Park in Linxia City occupies a prime location in the eastern district, adjacent to Chengdong 4th Road to the south, North Binhe East Road to the east, the Sanyi Golden Waterfront residential community to the north, and the river beach area of Shijia She in Limeng Village to the west. Established in 1985 and completed in 1990, the park has undergone expansion, renovation, and upgrading to maximize its comprehensive functions and provide residents in the eastern part of the city with an ideal place for rest and recreation. The municipal government invested over 10 million yuan to renovate and construct key infrastructure such as the main gate, surrounding walls, and the zoo. This project was listed as one of the top ten initiatives under Linxia’s “Two Together” development plan and as a key component of the eastern ecological corridor construction.

　　 The artificial lakes on both sides of the main entrance feature naturally winding shorelines, gracefully swaying weeping willows, shimmering blue waters, and scattered rowboats. The central pavilion standing on the lake is a classic example of Linxia-style traditional architecture, with upturned eaves and corners that ingeniously integrate the three celebrated elements of Linxia architecture. This makes the East Suburb Park a new-style comprehensive park that offers sightseeing, tourism, entertainment, and leisure all in one.

　　 The roadsides are lined with various plants such as pine, cypress, weeping willow, and acacia. Notably, there are also metasequoia trees — a rare and precious species in China that typically grows near water sources. This row of tall metasequoias was introduced from the south in the early years of the founding of the People’s Republic. Thanks to the area's humid climate, fertile soil, and especially abundant water supply, the trees have thrived, growing into towering giants in just over 20 years and forming a beautiful landscape.

　　The park’s zoo houses more than 10 species of animals, including African lions, wolves, and foxes, while the aviary is home to over 2,000 birds of more than 40 species, such as peacocks, Lophophorus lhuysii, and skylarks. Over the past decade since its establishment, the zoo has overcome numerous technical challenges and pioneered new methods in wildlife breeding. In 2012, it successfully bred three African lion cubs, not only filling a gap in Linxia’s history of African lion breeding but also playing a positive role in attracting children to visit, learn, broaden their horizons, and enhance awareness of wildlife conservation. This achievement earned recognition from city and prefecture leaders and widespread praise from the public. The three lion cubs were officially named “Gugu,” “Hehe,” and “Zhuzhu,” and have become three little stars of the city and a highlight of the zoo.

　　 The sculpture in the center of the park is the Monument to Martyr Hu Tingzhen. Initially built in 1993, the monument was renovated by the Linxia Municipal People’s Government in 2000. The martyr’s bust is carved from white marble, and the base is made of black marble. The inscriptions recount the glorious revolutionary activities of Martyr Hu Tingzhen and provide a brief account of his life (primarily based on the inscriptions). In October 2011, the Hu Tingzhen Martyr Memorial Hall was established and designated as a provincial-level patriotic education base by the Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department. It serves as one of the bases for conducting revolutionary history and patriotic education. The front of the monument bears nine golden characters: “The Spirit of Martyr Hu Tingzhen Lives Forever,” while the back features an inscription titled “A Brief Account of Hu Tingzhen” written by the Linxia Municipal Party Committee and Municipal People’s Government.

　　 The Hu Tingzhen Revolutionary Martyr Memorial Hall is divided into sections covering Hu Tingzhen’s youth, his revolutionary career, and memorial activities by people from all ethnic groups and walks of life. It recreates the martyr’s dramatic and legendary journey of struggle, showcases the activities of the Gansu Special Branch of the Party before and after the Great Revolution, and promotes the loyal, fearless, and indomitable revolutionary spirit of the early Gansu Party members.

　　 The park’s peony garden covers an area of over 10 mu and features more than 50 varieties of precious peonies, with over 1,000 plants in total. The purple-spot peony, in particular, is world-renowned for its large, vividly colored, and fragrant blossoms, and it once won a bronze award at the third China Flower Expo. Linxia peonies come in a full range of varieties and can be categorized by color into nine major hues: red, yellow, green, pink, white, black, purple, blue. The most famous include the red “Golden Flower Champion,” known as the “King of Peonies,” and the white “Jade Pot Ice Heart,” known as the “Queen of Peonies.” When bathed in bright sunlight, they are as captivating as the song goes: “The white peony is charmingly white, the red peony is brilliantly red.”

　　 Notably, in 2012, the municipal party committee and government invested over 13 million yuan to create a comfortable and pleasant leisure and sightseeing destination for local residents. They constructed two large artificial lakes opposite the park, developed the park’s internal water features, built a park reception hall, and constructed a viewing bridge on Nanbinhe Road. Additionally, they upgraded and beautified the park’s Front Avenue, parking lots, and other infrastructure, and carefully crafted a 10-li (approximately 5-kilometer), 100-mu (approximately 6.7-hectare) peony sightseeing belt. With an investment of 120 million yuan, the park was developed to high standards. The revitalized East Suburb Park now boasts more complete facilities, more beautiful scenery, and a higher level of quality and sophistication.