Fuxing Park

Fuxing Park, also called Gujiazhai Park, is located on Yandang Road in Shanghai and covers 92,000 square meters (110,000 square yards). It is a unique park in Shanghai that maintains the French classic style, which is characterized by plaids and patterns.

The construction of Fuxing Park combines French-style and Chinese-style layout. The north and central parts of the park focus on the French-style layout and includes the Carpet Flower Bed, Central Fountain Pool and China Rose Flower Bed. The southwestern part of the park presents the Chinese-style layout and includes the Rockery, Lotus Pond, stream, winding path and lawn. In general, the French construction style is the dominant style of the park as it was initially constructed and designed by the French. The following are some beautiful landscapes you can visit in the park:
 

The Rockery or Artificial Hill sits in the southwestern part of Fuxing Park and covers 1,850 square meters (2210 square yards). The Rockery is a manmade hill made up of stone blocks and covered with green trees. On the top of the Rockery is a pavilion where you can have a bird’s-eye-view of the whole park.
 

To the northeast of the Rockery, lies the Lotus Pond. The pavilions and corridors stand beside the pond in harmony. Walking to the northeast of the pond, you can see a small pond separated from the lotus pond by a dam and shaded by a big Platanus tree. It’s definitely worth a look.
 

The China Rose Garden is located in the northwestern part of the park with an area of around 2,700 square meters (3,200 square yards). The center of this oval garden is a round pond with a fountain and a statue of a goose-breeding girl. The ground around the pond is separated into four areas with different patterns which are planted with grass and thousands of China Roses.
 

The Carpet Flower Bed, between the west road and east road of Fuxing Park, presents a rectangle shape. It is also called the French Sunken Flower Bed as the whole flower bed is lower than the surrounding area. The height difference allows people to have a birds-eye view of the whole flower bed. The big flower bed is divided into pictorial flower beds by various paths, covered with grass. Different flowers bloom in each of the four seasons, forming all kinds of colorful pictures. Viewed from afar, it appears like a wonderful brocade or a beautiful carpet. When the fountain opens, water sprays skyward accompanying the colorful flowers and green grass, beautiful and peaceful.
 

Statue Square lies to the north of the Carpet Flower Bed, and is famous for its Statues of Marx and Engels, which were built in 1985 for the 90th anniversary of Engels’ death. The statue, made up of three slabs of granite, weighs 70 tons, and is 6.4 meters (6.9 yards) high by 3 meters (3.2 yards) wide. The base and paths which lead to the statue are all constructed of granite. Walking on the square, you can see the verdant land beside the statue where lush cedars and green grass grow with beautiful flower beds inside.
 

Planetrees grow throughout Fuxing Park. Those over 50 years old number over 1,700. Among them, one beside the south gate is the most famous, and is called “Shanghai No.2” for its huge body. This big tree grows strong with huge branches by careful trimming and cultivation. In addition to the big planetrees, there are some other famous trees, like a European Horse Chestnut blossoming every year, a bush named vitex negundo in the south gate, oriental white oak, Ulmus parvifolia and others, rarely seen in Shanghai.

In addition to those beautiful landscapes, there are other nice places awaiting your visit. Park 97 Bar is a quiet and comfortable place for visitors to have dinner. There are different theme parties going on every weekend and some holidays, often hosted by DJs. When the former-president Clinton visited China, he dined twice at Park 97. In addition, the Children’s Playground, located to the west center of Fuxing Park, offers many entertainment facilities, such as dodgem, big train, Donald Duck and ocean ball. There are also slides, climbing ladders and rolling barrels southeast of the China Rose Flower Bed.
 

1. Take metro line 1, and get off at the South Huangpi Road Station. Then, walk southwards along Yandang Road for around 500 meters (540 yards) to the north gate of Fuxing Park.
2. Take metro line 10 or line 13, and get off at the Xintiandi Station. Then, walk westwards along Fuxing Middle Road for around 400 meters (430yards) to the south gate of Fuxing Park.
3. Take metro line 13, and get off at the Middle Huaihai Road Station. Then, walk southwards for around 500 meters (540 yards) to the west gate.
4. Take bus no.36, no.780, no. 869, no.933, no.974, no.986 or Tunnel Line 8, and get off at South Chongqing Road. Then walk westwards to the east gate for around 100 meters (110 yards).
5. Take bus no.42, no.167, no. 146, or no.911, and get off at Middle Huaihai Road Sinan Road. Then walk southwards to the park for around 500 meters (540 yards) to the west gate.
6. Take bus no.864, and get off at Middle Fuxing Road Ruijin Second Road Station. Then walk eastwards for around 600 meters (650 yards) to the north gate.