People’s Park

Located in the downtown area of Jingjiang, People’s Park was first built in the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917). At that time, Jingjiang was garrisoned by the Tonghai Allied Forces, who built a garden on the vacant land of Chongsheng Temple. Gardeners were hired to plant flowers and grasses, pile rockeries and erect pavilions, forming an initial garden landscape named "Public Garden". That is why many locals still refer to it by this old name today. It was renamed People’s Park after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Having weathered many vicissitudes of time, the park underwent several major transformations.

In 2002, on the basis of upgrading its refined miniature landscape bonsai garden, the park launched a full renovation project for its west gate with a total investment of 3.5 million RMB. The new west gate complex consists of eight components: the main gate, plaza access roads, gatehouse, scenic window enclosure wall, comprehensive building and green landscapes, covering a land area of over 1,000 square meters with a construction area of 5,000 square meters. The complex accommodates commercial premises, office spaces, entertainment venues and conference rooms.

Scientifically designed, the west gate complex harmonizes perfectly with the newly constructed Renmin Road. Adopting a modified classical Suzhou architectural style, it presents an elegant, stately and attractive appearance. The structure boasts artistic and ornamental value while remaining spacious, bright and functional, delivering a pleasing visual experience and captivating visitors.

Currently covering 71 mu, People’s Park features a completely renewed landscape with comprehensive supporting facilities and distinctive local highlights. Famous for its orchid collections and miniature rock-water bonsai, it enjoys a reputation at home and abroad. It was designated a Grade-II Garden Unit of Jiangsu Province in 1999.

People’s Park was once the only public park in Jingjiang. Its core zone sees extremely high visitor volumes and utilization rates, welcoming around 3,500 visitors on an average day and roughly 20,000 during holidays, pushing it into a state of overcrowding. It ranks among the busiest leisure and entertainment venues in central Jiangsu.

The forest coverage rate of the main park zone hits 78%, including a bamboo grove of around 10 mu. More than 60 varieties of bamboo, flowering shrubs and arbors grow within the grounds. The oldest trees include ginkgo, cypress, elm and trident maple, aged between 70 and 80 years. The park houses an 18-mu bonsai garden with 128 rock-water bonsai pieces, over 400 stump bonsai, 12,000 orchid pots and more than 50,000 small miniature bonsai.

Five bridges stand in the park: Linqing Bridge (an ancient stone arch bridge), Three-Bend Bridge (built in 1977), Guanyuan Bridge (built in 1964), Two-Bend Bridge and an unnamed bridge. The compound is dotted with pavilions, terraces, multi-story buildings, waterside verandas, covered corridors and stone benches, among which the most renowned are Lotus Hall, Osmanthus Hall, Plum Blossom Hall, Shuxiao Pavilion and Overlook Pavilion. Dating back to 1838, Plum Blossom Hall has a history of over 160 years.

A modern entertainment zone spans more than 10 mu, containing a multi-purpose dance floor that doubles as a roller skating rink, a large children’s playground and bumper car rides. A 20-mu water area offers boating and other aquatic activities. Popular fitness activities among local residents include fan dances, Mulan boxing, Tai Chi, ball games and singing. Three dedicated morning exercise zones are available: the concrete square, the open space between Osmanthus Hall and Plum Blossom Hall, and the bamboo grove.

The riverfront stretches of the park are lined with stone revetments arranged in varied artistic formations, offering quiet resting spots for visitors. Reflections of riverside blossoms, trees, bamboo groves and stone formations ripple across the water, paired with exquisitely laid-out bridges, pavilions, terraces and waterside pavilions. Together they form delicate, charming scenery embodying the classic charm of Jiangnan gardens.

The orchids cultivated in People’s Park enjoy nationwide renown. Since 1987, they have won numerous awards at major national orchid expos and flower fairs:

According to incomplete statistics, between 1987 and 2001, Jingjiang-grown orchids received a total of 34 awards in provincial and national competitions: 6 gold medals, 11 silver medals, 5 bronze medals, 1 special prize, 2 third-class awards, 6 excellence awards and 3 other honors. Boasting many premium rare varieties, Jingjiang orchids are celebrated nationwide for their superior quality, with many individual strains valued at thousands of taels of gold