A Skip and a Stroll through Changsha’s Best Parks

There are numerous parks dotting Changsha including the Memorial Park for National Heroes, Sea World, the Moon Lake Park and Yuelushan Park. These parks not only show Changsha in all its natural beauty, but they also provide for a variety of fun attractions and rides. The parks are great for when you have some time to enjoy a little nature and have fun, right within Changsha. This article introduces some of the more unique parks in the city; parks which are definitely worth checking out during your free time.

Memorial Park for National Heroes

This is one of the largest parks in Changsha; it's surrounded by Liuyang River and has beautiful scenery all around. There are three major sections of the park including the memorial, sightseeing and recreational areas. The memorial section is marked by the solemnly erected memorial tower. A memorial hall that exhibits pictures and brief introductions of famous national heroes in Hunan province from the last century can be found within the tower. The sightseeing section of the park is dotted with numerous pavilions and towers and visitors can stroll through the arched stone bridge to the island in the middle of the lake or opt to row boats for a personal tour around the lake. The recreational section of the park has a children's playground offering different modern rides and attractions. There is also a hall for holding periodic exhibitions of bonsai, calligraphy works and paintings. Of course, this area is also home to different restaurants where visitors can opt for a taste of typical Hunan cuisine and various desserts after a day at the park.

Memorial Park for National Heroes

Add: 1 Dongfeng Lu, Kaifu District, Changsha
Tel: 0731 8451 8070
Price: Free
Opening hours: All day
Getting there: Take bus routes 704, 168 to the venue

Changsha Sea World

Changsha Sea World is a 4A-rated national attraction in the city. This is a venue that is comprised of both an aquarium and a water theme park. The aquarium has over a thousand different species of sea life and fresh water fish; they include the ever so cute sea lions, dangerous sharks and various colored coral reefs. Aside from visiting with the different sea animals, tourists can also enjoy fun performances by seals and dangerous diving acts with humans and sharks swimming side-by-side. The water theme park is one of the most popular attractions for adults and children alike. The water theme park includes a variety of exciting features such as water slides and boat rides along the roundabout river, slamming man-made waves and a spectacular Russian water ballet.

Performance Schedule:
Seal performances: 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, 15:00
Diving performances: 10:00, 11:15, 15:15, 16:15

Add: East of Liuyang River Grand Bridge (inside Jinying Film and Culture Center), Kaifu district
Tel: 0731 8425 6002
Opening hours: 08:00-22:00
Price: 3 RMB/person for general admission; 50 RMB/person for the aquarium; 25 RMB/person for the water theme park
Getting there: Take bus routes 132, 136, 158, 501 to Sea World station

Yuelushan Park

Yuelushan Park is situated near the Xiang River and looks across to the metropolitan area of Changsha. Flora at the park includes ancient-grown and towering trees such as Luohan pines from the Six Dynasties period and ginkgo trees from Tang and Song dynasties period. These are just some of the grand trees that make up the unique assortment of plant life at the park. Aside from the great big trees, there are other numerous historic attractions including different pavilions, stone slabs and caves. Yuelushan is beautifully green in the spring, refreshingly cool in the summer, dyed red during autumn, and with frost-covered trees in the winter. Visitors can therefore experience beautiful scenes no matter the season. This park is an ideal spot for going on picnics and enjoying a little of the outdoors with family and friends. Electric cars are available for sightseeing around the park and tickets cost 10 RMB/person for the trip.

Add: 40 Denggao Lu, west side of the river, Yuelushan, Changsha
Tel: 0731 8882 5011
Opening hours: 08:30-17:00
Price: Admission is free; cable car rides are 30 RMB/person going up, 25 RMB/person going down, and 50 RMB/person for the round trip
Getting there: Take bus routes 202, 902, 913, 152 to Yuelushan Park station