Oriental Giant Turtle Garden is located on the east bank of the Ye River in Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, invested and built by Mr. Fan Haiting, a national model worker and farmer entrepreneur. The scenic spot features turtle culture, integrating ecological tourism, popular science education, leisure and entertainment, and is known as "Underwater World in the Mountains, Thousands of Books on Stones". The total area of the scenic spot is over 2,600 mu, including more than 800 mu of water area. It has a high vegetation coverage and a beautiful environment. The scenic spot has many characteristic buildings, such as the 388-meter-long ten-thousand-ton giant turtle sculpture, which is one of the landmark landscapes of the scenic spot. In addition, there is the Fumin Underwater World covering an area of 3,000 square meters, and the turtle breeding base covering 10,000 square meters. Various buildings are cleverly combined with natural landscapes, forming a unique tourist style.
History and Culture
The development of Oriental Giant Turtle Garden is closely linked to the entrepreneurial journey of farmer entrepreneur Fan Haiting. Born in poverty, Mr. Fan Haiting started with turtle breeding and gradually expanded the industrial scale with diligence and wisdom. In 1995, with his love for his hometown and the vision of developing tourism, he began to invest in the construction of Oriental Giant Turtle Garden, combining turtle breeding with tourism development, and creating a unique model of "promoting tourism through breeding and boosting breeding through tourism".
The scenic spot is rich in turtle culture connotations. In traditional Chinese culture, turtles symbolize longevity and good luck. Various turtle sculptures and turtle culture exhibition rooms in the scenic spot carry forward and inherit this traditional culture. In addition, the scenic spot also incorporates local folk culture elements, allowing tourists to feel a strong local cultural atmosphere through various folk activities. Over the years, Oriental Giant Turtle Garden has not only become a local tourist card but also made important contributions to regional economic development and cultural communication.
Main Attractions
Ten-Thousand-Ton Giant Turtle
The Ten-Thousand-Ton Giant Turtle is the core landscape of Oriental Giant Turtle Garden. This giant sculpture is 388 meters long, 68 meters high, and 48 meters wide. It is made of reinforced concrete and has a total weight of over ten thousand tons. The giant turtle has a lifelike shape. On its back, there are reliefs of many historical stories and myths such as "Pictures of Emperors of China Through the Ages" and "Journey to the West". The pictures are exquisite with superb craftsmanship, showing profound cultural heritage. Tourists can climb onto the turtle's back to overlook the scenery of the entire scenic spot and feel the shock brought by this giant sculpture.
Fumin Underwater World
Fumin Underwater World covers an area of 3,000 square meters and is one of the larger indoor underwater worlds in North China. It displays a variety of marine life from all over the world, including sharks, sea turtles, tropical fish, corals, etc., with more than 100 species. There is a 50-meter-long underwater tunnel in the underwater world, where tourists can walk and watch the living habits of marine life up close, as if they are in a wonderful underwater world. In addition, wonderful performances such as mermaid shows and sea lion shows are held regularly here, bringing rich visual experiences to tourists.
Turtle Breeding Base
The turtle breeding base covers an area of 10,000 square meters. It is one of the characteristics of Oriental Giant Turtle Garden and the starting point of Mr. Fan Haiting's entrepreneurship. The base adopts an ecological breeding model and breeds a large number of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (turtles). Tourists can learn about the growth process and breeding technology of turtles here. There is also a turtle culture exhibition room in the base, which displays the history, culture, edible and medicinal value related to turtles, allowing tourists to have a more comprehensive understanding of turtles.
Huaxia Historical Garden
Huaxia Historical Garden takes time as the axis and condenses the historical changes of China from ancient times to modern times. In the garden, through sculptures, buildings, murals and other forms, major events, important figures and cultural achievements of various historical periods are reproduced, such as Dayu controlling the floods, Qin Shihuang unifying China, and the Four Great Inventions. The garden covers a vast area with clever landscape layout. During the tour, tourists can intuitively feel the long history and brilliance of China, and it is a scenic spot integrating historical education and sightseeing and leisure.
Ye River Rafting
The Ye River rafting section is located on the Ye River in the scenic spot. The whole rafting journey is about 5 kilometers, and the rafting time is about 2 hours. The water of the Ye River is clear to the bottom, and the scenery on both banks is beautiful, with dense forests and strange rocks. Tourists take rubber boats downstream, sometimes gentle and leisurely, sometimes rapid and exciting, which can fully experience the fun of rafting and enjoy the natural beauty along the coast.
Food
Turtle Feast
Turtle Feast is the signature food of Oriental Giant Turtle Garden. The turtles used are all from the scenic spot's own breeding base, with tender meat and rich nutrition. The turtle feast includes a variety of dishes, such as braised turtle, stewed turtle, turtle soup, etc., each with its own characteristics. Braised turtle is bright red in color and mellow in taste; stewed turtle has a delicious soup with original flavor; turtle soup is nutritious and tonic, suitable for all kinds of people. The chefs in the scenic spot have carefully cooked to retain the nutritional components and delicious taste of the turtle to the greatest extent, which is a must-try food when coming to the scenic spot.
Pancake Sticks with Braised Small Fish
Pancake Sticks with Braised Small Fish is a local traditional farm dish, and you can also taste the authentic flavor in Oriental Giant Turtle Garden. This dish uses fresh small fish from the Ye River, cooked with cornmeal pancake sticks. After braising, the small fish have a delicious and rich taste. The pancake sticks absorb the essence of the fish soup, with a crispy bottom and a soft top, with a rich taste. This dish reflects the characteristics of local food culture, with a simple and mellow taste, allowing tourists to feel a strong rural atmosphere.
Surrounding Food: Pingshan Oil Ghost
Pingshan Oil Ghost is a specialty snack of Pingshan County, which is more common in restaurants around Oriental Giant Turtle Garden. It looks like fried dough sticks but has a crisper taste and a salty flavor. Pingshan Oil Ghost has a unique production process, using high-quality flour, made through multiple processes such as fermentation and frying. The newly baked Pingshan Oil Ghost is golden in color, crispy outside and tender inside, and is loved by locals and tourists. It is a good choice to taste local characteristics.
Tickets
The ticket price is 65 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "河北东方巨龟苑n" to get the latest news. As of August 4, 2025, the official WeChat public account does not provide online ticket purchasing function.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are 8:00-18:00 every day (summer); in winter, the opening hours are 8:30-17:30. The scenic spot is open all year round. In case of special weather or major events, the opening hours may be adjusted. It is recommended that tourists consult the official website or phone of the scenic spot before traveling.
Tour Route
Here is a recommended one-day tour route: arrive at the scenic spot at 8:30 a.m., first visit the landmark Ten-Thousand-Ton Giant Turtle, climb onto the turtle's back to enjoy the panoramic view of the scenic spot and visit the turtle back reliefs; then go to Fumin Underwater World to watch marine life and performances, which takes about 1.5 hours; go to the scenic spot restaurant to taste the characteristic turtle feast at 11:30. At 13:00 p.m., visit Huaxia Historical Garden to learn about Chinese history and culture, which takes about 2 hours; go to Ye River Rafting at 15:00 to experience the fun of rafting, which takes about 2 hours in total; at around 17:00, you can visit the turtle breeding base to learn about turtle breeding knowledge, and then end the day's trip. This route covers the main attractions of the scenic spot, allowing tourists to fully feel the characteristics of the scenic spot.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Shijiazhuang, drive along Xibaipo Expressway, get off at Pingshan Exit, then drive east along Yehe East Road, Pingshan County for about 5 kilometers to reach the scenic spot. The whole journey is about 50 kilometers, and the driving time is about 1 hour.
- Public transportation: Take a bus from Shijiazhuang North Passenger Station to Pingshan County. After arriving in Pingshan County, transfer to a bus or taxi heading to the east bank of the Ye River to reach Oriental Giant Turtle Garden. Buses run every 30 minutes, and the journey takes about 1.5 hours.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Ten-Thousand-Ton Giant Turtle: The landmark of the scenic spot, a 388-meter-long giant turtle sculpture with rich reliefs on its back. You can climb high to look far, feeling the shocking visual impact and profound cultural connotation.
- Fumin Underwater World: A 3,000-square-meter indoor underwater world with more than 100 kinds of marine life and a 50-meter-long underwater tunnel, as well as wonderful performances, suitable for family trips with children.
- Ye River Rafting: A 5-kilometer-long rafting section with a rafting time of about 2 hours. The scenery on both banks is beautiful, which can not only experience excitement but also enjoy natural scenery. It is a popular summer activity.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to spend 1-2 days here. If time permits, you can stay around the scenic spot to experience the scenery of the scenic spot and its surroundings in depth.
- When visiting in summer, take sun protection measures, such as applying sunscreen and wearing a hat, and prepare replacement clothes for changing after Ye River Rafting.
- The scenic spot is large in area, so it is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes for walking around the various attractions.
- When tasting the turtle feast, you can choose different cooking methods according to your personal taste. It is recommended to travel with a group of people to taste more kinds of dishes.
- If you want to watch the performances in Fumin Underwater World, you can learn about the performance time in advance and arrange your tour itinerary reasonably to avoid missing them.
Notes
- During Ye River Rafting, follow the instructions of the staff, wear a life jacket, pay attention to your own safety, and do not get off the boat or play around at will during the rafting.
- Littering is prohibited in the scenic spot. Please take good care of the environment and keep the scenic spot clean and tidy.
- When visiting the turtle breeding base, abide by the regulations of the base and do not touch or catch turtles at will.
- Take good care of your personal belongings when visiting the scenic spot to avoid loss.
- Some areas in the scenic spot may be steep. Please pay attention to your footing when visiting, especially the elderly and children should be accompanied by someone.