Full of tall leafy trees and flowers throughout spring, summer and early fall, Urumqi's People's Park (Rénmín Gōngyuán, 人民公园) is a pleasant place to while away a few hours strolling among gardens, pavilions, sculptures and cool streams. It's also child-friendly, with a small amusement park and a rollerskating rink on hand for young visitors.
It's a popular site for various exhibitions, including flower shows, bonsai exhibitions, painting and art fairs and photography shows, and in the winter, the park hosts an ice sculpture festival and various winter sport competitions.
Once a mixture of marsh and forest, today's park occupies grounds originally established in 1755 as the quarters for occupying Qing Dynasty soldiers. The park itself was established in 1883, then enlarged in 1918 by dredging a small lake and expanding the grounds.
Several buildings of traditional central Chinese style dot People's Park, including the Danfeng Chaoyang Pavilion (Dānfèngcháoyáng Gé, 丹凤朝阳阁), the Dragon King Temple (Lóng Wáng Miào, 龙王庙), Zuixia Pavilion (Zuìxiá Tíng, 醉霞亭), Xiaochun Pavilion (Xiǎochūn Tíng, 晓春亭), and Jian Lake Pavilion (Xiǎochūn Tíng, 阅微草堂), a "thatched abode" maintained in memory of Qing Dynasty official Ji Xiaolan, who was instrumental in bringing the restive region now known in Mandarin as Xinjiang under Manchu control.
The park makes for an excellent getaway from the hot city in summer and is especially pleasant in the morning when locals come to exericise and chat.
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