Changchun World Sculpture Park is located at No. 9518 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun City, Jilin Province. It is a national 5A-level tourist scenic area, one of the first batch of national key parks, and also a large modern sculpture-themed park integrating sculpture art, natural landscapes and cultural landscapes. The park covers an area of about 92 hectares, including 11.8 hectares of water area, with a green coverage rate of over 80%. With the theme of "Friendship · Peace · Spring", the scenic area has collected more than 540 pieces (groups) of sculpture works created by over 400 sculptors from more than 130 countries and regions across five continents, covering various materials such as stone carving, bronze carving and stainless steel carving. It is one of the sculpture-themed parks with the largest number of sculpture works and the widest range of nationalities in the world. The main buildings include Changchun Sculpture Art Museum, Wei Xiaoming Art Museum, Africa Art Museum, etc., with a total construction area of about 32,000 square meters, which together with the outdoor sculpture group form a diversified art exhibition space.
History and Culture
The construction of Changchun World Sculpture Park began in the 1990s. In 1997, the Changchun Municipal Government decided to build a theme park centered on sculpture art to enhance the city's cultural taste, and launched the construction of the first phase of the project in the same year. In 2003, the park was officially open to the public and successfully held the 1st China · Changchun International Sculpture Invitational Exhibition. Since then, the exhibition has been held every two years, and by 2023, 11 sessions have been held, attracting thousands of artists from around the world and gradually forming an international exchange platform for sculpture art.
In 2007, the park was rated as a national 4A-level scenic area, and promoted to a national 5A-level scenic area in 2017. During its development, the park has continuously enriched its collection, including masterpieces by internationally renowned sculptors, such as a replica of "The Thinker" by French sculptor Auguste Rodin and "Flying" by German sculptor Meichil. These works not only show artistic expressions under different cultural backgrounds, but also witness the cultural exchange process between Changchun and countries around the world, making the park an important window for cultural exchange between Changchun, even China and the outside world.
Main Attractions
Changchun Sculpture Art Museum
Located at the southwest corner of Changchun World Sculpture Park, it was open to the public on September 6, 2003, with a construction area of 12,500 square meters, designed by national architectural designer Chen Shimin. Built on a sloping land, the museum adopts a unique shape combining beautiful curves and straight lines, and is itself a huge modern sculpture artwork, complementing the fine sculptures displayed in the museum. The museum is equipped with exhibition halls, lecture halls, multi-functional halls, meeting rooms, creation rooms, etc., which can meet multi-level needs such as exhibitions, exchanges and creations. Inside the museum, there are "Peng Zushu Art Museum", "3D Art Experience Hall" and "Yin Xiaofeng Sculpture Art Museum".
Songshan Hanrong African Art Collection Museum
Located at the east gate of Changchun World Sculpture Park, it was designed by He Jingtang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a famous architectural master, with a construction area of 5,640 square meters, and opened in September 2011. The museum has three major exhibition halls: "Art Africa", "Charming Africa" and "Black Africa", showing the unique African culture with different themes.
Michelangelo Square
Located at the north entrance of Changchun World Sculpture Park, it is composed of 5 pieces (groups) of works: "Aquarius Age Replaces Pisces Age", "Mountains and Rivers Flowing", "Girl Riding a Bear", "Music Fan" and "Urban Romance". The square is triangular, with "Aquarius Age Replaces Pisces Age" in the center, a work by Russian sculptor Alexander Vinogradov, implying the arrival of a new era. Together with other works, it forms a visual effect with strong European style.
Moore Lake
Located in the central part of Changchun World Sculpture Park, it covers an area of 118 hectares, and the lake embankment surrounds it into a scallop shape. Shenzhou Road circles the lake, with weeping willows swaying on the bank. In midsummer, it forms a delightful contrast with the lotus and aquatic plants on the lake, and occasionally fish raised in the lake swim by.
Spring Square
Located at the highest point of Changchun World Sculpture Park, it covers an area of 5,200 square meters. In the center stands a large group sculpture "Friendship. Peace. Spring" symbolizing the theme of the park, with the main sculpture of the work being 29.5 meters high. This work was co-created by five famous Chinese sculptors: Ye Yushan, Pan He, Wang Keqing, Cheng Yunxian and Cao Chunsheng.
Friendship Fountain Square
It is a sunken circular square, adjacent to "Rodin Square" in the west, with pedestrian steps leading directly to the Nine-hole Flat Bridge in the east, echoing the theme sculpture in the distance. The south side is set off by sculpture works and green plants, and the north side is a stepped modern membrane-structured viewing platform. A large musical fountain is located in the center of the square, with water columns reaching up to meters high. Covering an area of 15,505 square meters, the square has a flat and wide view, making it an important venue for holding large-scale activities.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: Enter the park at 9:00 a.m., first visit Changchun Sculpture Art Museum (1.5 hours) to appreciate fine indoor sculptures; go to Wei Xiaoming Art Museum at 10:30 (1 hour) to learn about the creative process of Chinese contemporary sculptors; go to Africa Art Museum at 11:30 (1 hour) to experience the unique charm of African art. Have lunch at the "Art Café" in the park at 12:30 p.m. (about 40 yuan per capita) or go to restaurants outside the park. Start visiting the outdoor sculpture group at 14:00 p.m., watch works such as "Flying" and "Mother and Child" along the lakeside trail, pass by the Fountain Square (stay to watch if there is a performance), which takes about 2 hours; go to the Central Square at 16:00 to watch large-scale sculptures such as "Friendship · Peace · Spring" and take photos as souvenirs; end the trip at about 17:00. If visiting in summer, you can stay in the park to watch the musical fountain show at 19:00 before leaving.
Travel Tips
- The best seasons for visiting are May-June and September-October. In May-June, flowers and plants in the park are in full bloom, and in September-October, the weather is clear and crisp, suitable for outdoor visits; you can watch the musical fountain in summer, and have the chance to appreciate sculptures in the snow in winter, which has a unique charm.
- The park is large, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes. You can get a free guide map at the entrance to plan the route; if you are in a hurry, you can take the park sightseeing bus.
- Art lovers are advised to bring a camera. Outdoor sculptures have the best shooting effect in the soft light of early morning or evening; using flash to take photos is prohibited in indoor exhibition halls.
- When visiting indoor exhibition halls, you can rent an audio guide to learn about the background information of the works and enhance the viewing experience.
- There are few catering options in the park, so you can bring your own dry food and water, or go to the Guoshang Department Store, 1 kilometer away from the park, for meals, where there are restaurants with various cuisines.
Notes
- Touching, climbing or carving on the sculpture works in the park is prohibited, and violators will face fines; please take good care of flowers and trees and do not pick them at will.
- Please keep quiet in indoor exhibition halls, do not make loud noises or chase and play; those wearing slippers or carrying pets are not allowed to enter.
- UV rays are strong in summer, so it is recommended to take sun protection measures and bring sun hats and sunglasses; the temperature is low in winter, so you need to wear warm clothes.
- There are many tourists during holidays, so it is recommended to travel off-peak, enter the park before 9:00 a.m. or after 15:00 p.m. to avoid crowds.
- Mobile phone signals are weak in some areas of the park, so it is recommended to agree on a meeting place with your companions; in case of emergency, you can contact the park patrol security.
Transportation
- Metro: Take Changchun Metro Line 1 to "Municipal Government Station", exit from Exit D, and walk about 800 meters to the main gate of the park, which takes about 30 minutes in total.
- Bus: Take Bus No. 66, 112 or 306 to "Sculpture Park Station" and walk 300 meters to reach; among them, Bus No. 306 departs from Changchun Station and takes about 50 minutes for the whole journey.
- Self-driving: Depart from Changchun Station and drive south along Renmin Street for about 10 kilometers; the park has 3 parking lots.
- Taxi: Take a taxi from the city center to the park, which takes about 20 minutes.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of the park are adjusted according to seasons: from April 1 to October 31 (peak season), it is open from 8:30 to 17:30 (admission stops at 17:00); from November 1 to March 31 of the next year (off-season), it is open from 9:00 to 16:30 (admission stops at 16:00). The opening hours of indoor exhibition halls are the same as those of the park; the musical fountain show is only staged from May 1 to October 7, at 19:00-19:30 in summer (June-August) and 18:30-19:00 in spring and autumn, and will be cancelled in case of rainy days.
Tickets
Free and open to the public. You can search for the official WeChat public account "长春世界雕塑园" to get the latest updates.
