Haikou People's Park

　　Located at the southern end of Xinhua South Road in Haikou City, it covers a total area of 29.35 hectares. This is a comprehensive landscaped park, divided into the East-West Lakes Scenic Area, Martyrs' Memorial Area, Tropical Plant Specimen Area, Quiet Resting Area, Orchid Garden, Animal Zone, and Production Area. Major facilities in the park include a zigzag bridge in the style of the East Lake garden, rockeries and pavilions, winding corridors, the Revolutionary Martyrs' Monument, a statue of General Feng Baiju, and memorial pavilions and corridors. There is also a small children’s playground, restaurants, and more. The park houses over 500 species of ornamental plants and more than 40 types of animals. With its tranquil environment, it serves as an ideal leisure and recreational spot for local residents.

　　The park site was originally Daying Mountain. In 1929, there were three villages, three temples, and one nunnery here, and warlords once built villas and military facilities on the site. In the 1930s, when Huang Qiang served as the Commissioner of the Qiongya Industrial Affairs Office, he established Zhongshan Park here. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1952, the Haikou Municipal People's Congress decided to build a park on Daying Mountain. In 1954, the Martyrs' Monument was erected in the park, with the inscription written by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De commemorating the martyrs who bravely sacrificed their lives during the naval campaign to liberate Hainan Island. In 1956, the park was expanded following instructions given by Minister Wan Li of the National Construction Ministry during his inspection tour of Hainan. At the same time, the zoo, pavilions, and rockeries were built. In 1957, farmland on both sides of the north main gate of Daying Mountain was requisitioned to serve as the park's lake area, and it was officially named "Haikou People's Park." Between 1958 and 1962, the East Lake, West Lake, the small island in East Lake, and the four main gates of the park (east, west, south, and north) were successively completed. Following instructions from Chairman Zhu De during his 1963 inspection of Hainan, the Orchid Garden was established in 1964 to cultivate orchid species collected from various mountainous areas in Hainan, for display and research purposes. Hu Lao Pavilion was built to commemorate the visit of President Ho Chi Minh of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, who toured the park with interest. A new pavilion was constructed in 1972, and in 1988 it was redesigned as the General Feng Baiju Memorial Pavilion. The original pool and rockery area were replaced with a granite sculpture of General Feng Baiju. The park also features scenic spots such as Rongqin Yinshi (Banyan, Zither, Seal Stone) and Liuying Fucui (Flowing Shadows and Floating Greenery), as well as rare tree species including sugar palm, bottle palm, and date palm. It attracts around 600,000 visitors annually.

　　Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee