Tianjin Water Park is located in Nankai District, Tianjin. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and the largest comprehensive park in Tianjin. With water scenery as its core feature, it combines natural and cultural landscapes, and is known as the "Little West Lake of the North". The park covers an area of 125 hectares, including 75 hectares of water surface, 50 hectares of land area, and over 350,000 square meters of green space, with nearly 200 species of garden plants. There are multiple islands, bridges, pavilions, and other landscape buildings in the park, which not only have the delicacy of Jiangnan gardens but also retain the spaciousness of northern gardens, serving as an important place for citizens' leisure and tourists' sightseeing.
History and Culture
Tianjin Water Park was founded in 1950 and officially opened to the public in July 1951. It was initially named "Qinglongtan Water Park" and later renamed "Tianjin Water Park". The construction of the park made full use of the local original terrain and water conditions, integrating traditional Chinese garden craftsmanship with modern landscape design concepts, and became one of the important achievements of Tianjin's urban construction after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
In the course of historical development, the Water Park has undergone multiple renovations and expansions. In 2001, the park underwent a large-scale renovation, adding many scenic spots and amusement facilities to improve its service functions. In 2009, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the park was upgraded again, with a comprehensive optimization of its landscapes, greening, and infrastructure. Today, the Water Park is not only one of Tianjin's urban landmarks but also carries the life memories of several generations of Tianjin people, witnessing the city's development and changes.
Main Attractions
East Lake and West Lake
East Lake and West Lake are the core water areas of the Water Park, with a total area of 75 hectares. The two lakes are connected by rivers, with winding shores surrounded by green trees. There are 11 islands in the lakes, connected by 24 bridges, most of which are curved bridges and arch bridges with various shapes, such as "Liudi Bridge" and "Three-Arch Bridge". These bridges not only facilitate transportation but also add a sense of hierarchy to the lake scenery. Visitors can take boats to enjoy the landscape of lakes and mountains, experiencing the artistic conception of "boats gliding on the water, people sitting in a painting".
Kobe Garden
Kobe Garden is located in the Water Park. It was built to commemorate the establishment of sister-city relations between Tianjin and Kobe, Japan, and was officially completed in 1989. Covering an area of about 12,000 square meters, the garden is designed and constructed entirely in the style of traditional Japanese gardens, with Japanese pavilions, stone lanterns, dry landscape gardens, and other landscapes. It also features Japanese characteristic plants such as cherry blossoms and pine trees, displaying a strong Japanese garden style and serving as a symbol of Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges.
Bonsai Garden
Bonsai Garden is located in the southeast of the park, covering an area of about 8,000 square meters. It is a special garden for displaying Chinese bonsai art. The garden collects and exhibits nearly a thousand bonsai works, covering various schools such as Suzhou, Sichuan, and Lingnan styles, with tree species including pine, cypress, maple, and plum. These bonsais have unique shapes and profound artistic conceptions, with both ornamental and artistic values, making it a concentrated display place of traditional Chinese bonsai art.
Zoo
Tianjin Zoo is located in the south of the Water Park, adjacent to it, covering an area of 53.33 hectares and being a national 4A-level scenic spot. The zoo houses and exhibits over 300 species and more than 5,000 individuals of wild animals, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, Siberian tigers, African elephants, and other rare species. The zoo is divided into areas according to animal species and geographical distribution, with panda houses, lion and tiger hills, primate halls, etc. It not only provides visitors with the opportunity to watch wild animals but also undertakes tasks of animal protection, scientific research, and popular science education.
Tiaoyuan Pavilion
Tiaoyuan Pavilion is located at one of the commanding heights of the Water Park. It is a traditional-style hexagonal pavilion, about 15 meters high. Climbing the pavilion, visitors can overlook the entire panorama of the Water Park, including the shimmering East Lake and West Lake, the tree-covered surrounding islands, and the outline of the distant city, making it one of the best places in the park to enjoy the overall view.
Food
Erduoyan Fried Cake
Erduoyan Fried Cake is a famous traditional snack in Tianjin, with many shops selling it around the Water Park. It uses glutinous rice flour as the skin, filled with red bean paste, and after frying, it is golden in color, with a crispy outer skin and a soft inner texture, sweet and delicious. The making of fried cakes requires careful control of heat and oil temperature, and they need to be eaten immediately after frying to taste the best. It is a must-try Tianjin specialty for tourists.
Goubuli Steamed Stuffed Buns
Goubuli Steamed Stuffed Buns are a iconic food in Tianjin, with many branches near the Water Park. They use flour as the skin, filled with pork, three-delicacy, and other fillings, and are made with the unique "eighteen folds" technique, with an attractive appearance. After steaming, the buns are soft and tasty, with juicy fillings and a rich flavor. They are typically eaten with a bowl of millet porridge or thin porridge.
Shuli Gao (Steamed Rice Cake)
Shuli Gao is a traditional street snack in Tianjin, commonly found at food stalls around the Water Park. It is made by steaming ground rice into cakes, then spreading various jams, red bean paste, sesame paste, and other seasonings. It has a soft texture, sweet and sour taste, and is affordable, loved by children and tourists.
Park Food Plaza
There is a food plaza in the Water Park, located near the amusement facilities area, offering various Chinese fast food, snacks, and drinks, such as Jianbing Guozi (pancake roll with fried dough), Guoba Cai (fried dough cake in soup), beef noodles, etc., to meet the dining needs of visitors. The plaza has a clean environment and sufficient seats, convenient for visitors to replenish energy during their visit.
Tickets
It is open for free. Some attractions and projects in the park require separate charges, such as boat rides.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "天津水上公园" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are 6:00-22:00 daily (summer) and 6:30-21:00 daily (winter). The opening hours of various attractions and amusement facilities in the park vary slightly. Among them, the zoo is open from 8:30-17:00 (April-October) and 9:00-16:30 (November-March of the next year). The operating hours of boat rides are adjusted according to the season, usually 9:00-17:00 (may be shortened in winter).
Tour Route
Visitors can enter from the main gate of the Water Park, first visit the nearby Bonsai Garden to appreciate the bonsai art, which takes about 40 minutes. Then go to East Lake, take a boat to visit East Lake, West Lake, and surrounding islands, with an experience time of about 1.5 hours. After getting off the boat, go to Kobe Garden to experience the Japanese garden style, staying for about 1 hour. Then walk to Tiaoyuan Pavilion to climb up and overlook the entire park, taking about 30 minutes. At noon, you can have meals at the park's food plaza. In the afternoon, go to the adjacent zoo to watch various animals, taking about 3 hours. The entire tour takes about 6-7 hours, and visitors can adjust the staying time at each attraction according to their interests.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take Tianjin Bus No. 643, 705, 857, 871, Sightseeing 2, etc., get off at "Water Park East Gate" or "Water Park" station, and walk into the scenic area.
- Subway: Take Tianjin Metro Line 3, get off at "Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall" station, exit from Exit B, and walk about 10 minutes to the North Gate of the Water Park.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Tianjin, you can go via main roads such as Weijin South Road and Fukang Road. There are multiple parking lots around the park, with a parking fee of about 5 yuan per hour.
Must-visit Attractions
- East Lake and West Lake: The core water areas of the park, covering 75 hectares, with 11 islands and 24 bridges. You can take a boat tour to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery, feeling the integration of natural and cultural landscapes.
- Zoo: Covering an area of 53.33 hectares, it houses over 300 species of wild animals, including rare species such as giant pandas, making it a good place for parent-child tours and popular science education.
- Kobe Garden: A 12,000-square-meter Japanese garden displaying traditional Japanese garden styles, a witness to Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges, with exquisite and unique landscapes.
Tour Suggestions
- It is recommended to arrange the tour time in spring (April-May) or autumn (September-October), when the climate is pleasant, and the park is full of lush flowers and trees with beautiful scenery.
- Boat rides are a characteristic project in the park. It is recommended to take them during non-weekend periods to avoid crowds and get a better visiting experience.
- Visitors with children can prioritize the zoo itinerary. There are children's amusement areas in the zoo where children can play and rest.
- Prepare comfortable walking shoes, as the park is large and walking requires a lot of energy. You can also rent bicycles in the park (about 30 yuan per hour).
Notes
- Dangerous behaviors such as swimming, fishing, and private boating are prohibited in the park. Please take good care of the flowers, trees, and public facilities in the park, and do not litter at will.
- When taking a boat, please abide by safety regulations, wear life jackets, do not chase or fight on the boat, and children must be accompanied by adults.
- Feeding animals and climbing over fences are prohibited in the zoo. Please abide by the park regulations and watch politely.
- Pay attention to sun protection and heatstroke prevention when visiting in summer, and bring sun umbrellas and drinking water. Keep warm in winter. Some lake surfaces may be frozen, so please stay away from dangerous areas.
- There are many people in the park, especially during holidays. Please take good care of your personal belongings and look after the elderly and children.