The Tianjin Water Park is the largest urban park

Urban park

An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...

 and recreation area in Tianjin

Tianjin

' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

, China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

. The park was formally established in 1951, covering an area of 126.71 hectares. The park is one of Tianjin's leading tourist attractions, which was officially acknowledged when it was listed in the National Tourism Administration 4A Level List of Scenic Sites in 2004. The facility is not actually a 'waterpark', and another name for the park is Shuishang Leyuan Amusement Park.

History

The Tianjin Water Park formerly known as "Green Dragon Pond" (青龙潭) prior to its official establishment. Its history can be traced back first century AD. Historically, the site was known for its lush vegetion and natural ecosystems, particular in summer and autumn.

With the establishment of Beiyang University and Nankai University

Nankai University

Nankai University , commonly known as Nankai, is a public research university based in Tianjin on mainland China. Founded in 1919 by educators Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun , Nankai University is a member of the Nankai serial schools. It is the alma mater of former Chinese Premier and key historical...

 at the turn of the 19th century, the waterways of the park became popular for swimming among academic staff and students during the hot summer months.

The ground-breaking for the Tianjin Water Park occurred on 26 August 1950 and it was officially opened July 1, 1951 to visitors.

Park Layout

The Tianjin Water Park consists of nine islands (Islands 1 - 9) and three lakes (East Lake, West Lake and South Lake). Surrounding the waterways are pathways, pagodas and gardens. The gardens showcase both Chinese

Chinese architecture

Chinese architecture refers to a style of architecture that has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries. The structural principles of Chinese architecture have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details...

 and foreign architectural styles

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

.

Activities

The recreation area of the Tianjin Park has one of the city's highest ferris wheels. Visitors are also encouraged to travel on the lakes via rowing boats and high speed water shuttles. The park changes its theme according to season, for example, during spring there is the Tulip Show, and in autumn there is the Chrysanthemum Show.

External links

• In Chinese Tianjin Water Park of China