Xiaoyaojin Park is located at No. 16 Shouchun Road, Luyang District, Hefei City, Anhui Province. It is a comprehensive urban park in the core area of Hefei, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, and also one of the oldest and most famous urban parks in Hefei. The park is world-renowned for the historical allusion of Zhang Liao intimidating Xiaoyaojin during the Three Kingdoms period. It is an integrated urban park combining history and culture, leisure and entertainment, garden landscapes, and science education. The park covers a total area of 31.3 hectares, including 11.2 hectares of water area and 20.1 hectares of land area. The green coverage rate in the park reaches over 80%, with more than a hundred species of plants such as various arbors, shrubs and flowers. The buildings are mainly antique-style structures and garden sketches, with a total construction area of about 8,000 square meters. The overall layout follows the gardening art of Jiangnan gardens, combining the vigor of northern gardens and the elegance of southern gardens.
History and Culture
The history of Xiaoyaojin dates back to the late Eastern Han Dynasty, more than 1,800 years ago. Its name originates from Zhuangzi · Carefree Roaming. In ancient times, it was a ferry on the Fei River and a natural barrier at the northeast corner of the old city of Hefei. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was a key battlefield where the Wei and Wu kingdoms fought for Hefei. In the 20th year of Jian'an (AD 215), Zhang Liao, a famous general of Wei, led 800 soldiers to raid 100,000 troops of Wu and defeated Sun Quan here, leaving the eternal story of "intimidating Xiaoyaojin". Thus, Xiaoyaojin became an important landmark of Three Kingdoms culture.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, Xiaoyaojin gradually evolved from a military ferry into a scenic spot visited and chanted by literati, becoming a leisure resort on the outskirts of Hefei. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was successively rebuilt into a private garden. After many renovations, the garden pattern gradually took shape, leaving many historical relics and inscriptions by scholars.
After the liberation of Hefei in 1949, Xiaoyaojin was officially designated as an urban park. It was officially named "Xiaoyaojin Park" in 1953 and fully completed and opened in 1954, becoming the first comprehensive urban park in Hefei. The park has been open to the public free of charge since 2007 and completed a comprehensive upgrading and renovation in 2020. While retaining its historical and cultural heritage, it has optimized garden landscapes and leisure facilities, making it a core carrier for inheriting Hefei's Three Kingdoms culture and an urban leisure landmark.
Major Attractions
Zhang Liao Statue
The Zhang Liao Statue stands at the center of the square at the South Gate of Xiaoyaojin Park, serving as the iconic landscape of the park. The statue stands 8 meters high, including a 5-meter-tall figure and a 3-meter-high base. Cast in bronze as a whole, it depicts Zhang Liao as a majestic general in armor, holding a long halberd, reproducing the heroism of the ancient Three Kingdoms battlefield. The base is engraved with an introduction to the historical allusion of "intimidating Xiaoyaojin", making it a core spot for tourists to take photos and check in.
Xiaoyao Lake
Xiaoyao Lake is the core water landscape of the park, with a water area of 11.2 hectares, accounting for more than one-third of the total park area. The lake is wide and clear, with three small islands in it, namely North Island, Middle Island and South Island. The islands are connected by Jiuqu Bridge and Yudai Bridge. Tourists can take a boat tour on the lake to enjoy the garden scenery along the coast and experience the watery charm of the ancient ferry.
Xiaoyao Pavilion
Located on the east bank of Xiaoyao Lake, Xiaoyao Pavilion is the tallest building in the park. It is a multi-storey pavilion-style building imitating the architectural style of the Three Kingdoms period, with a total height of 22 meters and five floors, covering a construction area of 1,500 square meters. The pavilion houses the Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum, displaying cultural relics, historical materials and sand table models of Hefei during the Three Kingdoms period, comprehensively showing the historical details of the Battle of Hefei between Wei and Wu. Climbing up the pavilion offers a panoramic view of the whole park and the urban scenery of Hefei.
Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum
The Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum is located in Xiaoyao Pavilion, with a total exhibition hall area of 800 square meters, divided into four exhibition areas: battlefield restoration, cultural relics display, history popularization and interactive experience. The museum houses more than a hundred replicas of cultural relics such as weapons, pottery and coins from the Three Kingdoms period, as well as historical materials. Through a combination of pictures, objects and multimedia, it systematically explains the history of the Three Kingdoms and the whole process of the Battle of Xiaoyaojin.
Dujin Bridge
Dujin Bridge is an antique stone arch bridge spanning Xiaoyao Lake, with a total length of 35 meters and a width of 5 meters. The bridge body is built with bluestone, and the railings are carved with patterns of allusions from the Three Kingdoms. It is a key passage connecting the north and south areas of the park and one of the best spots to enjoy the panoramic view of Xiaoyao Lake. The ancient bridge complements the lake water and pavilions, fully displaying the charm of Jiangnan gardens.
Peony Garden
The Peony Garden is located on the northwest side of the park, covering an area of 1.2 hectares, with more than 2,000 peony plants of over 100 varieties in nine color systems. The peonies bloom in April every year, making it one of the largest peony viewing areas in urban Hefei. The garden is matched with herbaceous peonies, Chinese roses and other flowers, offering beautiful scenery in all seasons.
Plum Blossom Hill
Plum Blossom Hill is an artificial hill in the park, with an altitude of 28 meters and an area of 0.8 hectares. It is planted with more than 1,000 plum trees of various types such as red plum, green plum and wintersweet. The plum blossoms bloom from January to March every year, making it a popular spot for viewing plum blossoms in winter in Hefei. There are viewing trails on the hill, and climbing to the top offers a distant view of Xiaoyao Lake and Xiaoyao Pavilion.
Children's Playground
The Children's Playground is located on the east side of the park, covering an area of 1.5 hectares, equipped with more than ten parent-child amusement facilities such as carousels, small trains, slides and sand pools. All facilities meet national safety standards, making it a leisure and entertainment area specially built for families with children.
Tour Route
The classic tour route of Xiaoyaojin Park starts from the South Gate, with a total tour duration of about 2 to 3 hours and a total walking distance of about 3 kilometers. After entering from the South Gate, first view the Zhang Liao Statue, then walk north along the square to the bank of Xiaoyao Lake, passing Dujin Bridge to enjoy the lake view from the bridge. Then head east to Xiaoyao Pavilion, climb the pavilion to visit the Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum and overlook the whole park. After that, tour Plum Blossom Hill north along the lake to view plum blossoms in winter. Then go west to the Peony Garden to enjoy the blooming peonies in spring. Finally, pass the Children's Playground eastward and exit from the East Gate or return to the South Gate. For family tours, priority can be given to visiting the Children's Playground followed by a stroll along the bank of Xiaoyao Lake, with a total duration of about 1.5 hours. For in-depth cultural tours, focus on visiting the Zhang Liao Statue, Xiaoyao Pavilion and Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum to learn about the history of the Three Kingdoms in detail, with a total duration of about 3 hours.
Travel Tips
- It is recommended to visit in spring and autumn. The climate is mild from March to May in spring with blooming peonies and cherry blossoms, while the weather is clear and refreshing from September to November in autumn with the best garden landscapes.
- Culture enthusiasts are advised to set aside 1 hour to visit the Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum for an in-depth understanding of the Three Kingdoms history of Xiaoyaojin.
- Families with children are recommended to arrange a visit to the Children's Playground first and avoid holiday peaks to improve the travel experience.
- It is recommended to take a boat tour on Xiaoyao Lake during the daytime, with a boat ride duration of about 20 minutes to enjoy the lake view in all directions.
- Light clothing is recommended when climbing Xiaoyao Pavilion, as the stairs inside are steep; please go up and down slowly for safety.
- There are many rest benches in the park. You can bring your own drinking water, and there are also convenience stores providing drinks and snacks in the park.
- Recommended photo spots: Zhang Liao Statue, Xiaoyao Pavilion, Dujin Bridge, Plum Blossom Hill, Peony Garden.
Notes
- The park is open free of charge. It is forbidden to bring dangerous goods such as flammable, explosive materials and controlled knives into the park.
- Fishing, swimming, tree climbing and lawn trampling are prohibited in the park. Please take good care of garden vegetation and public facilities.
- Charged items such as boat rides and pavilion climbing shall comply with on-site regulations. Children must be accompanied by adults when taking boats.
- The number of tourists is large during holidays. Please take good care of the elderly and children to avoid getting lost.
- Spitting and littering are prohibited in the park to maintain environmental hygiene.
- Unlicensed stalls, advertising distribution and begging are prohibited in the park.
- Pets are prohibited from entering the core area of the park, except guide dogs.
- Some facilities in the park will be temporarily closed in severe weather. Please follow the guidance of on-site staff.
Transportation
- Bus: Take Hefei Bus No. 2, 15, 106, 136, 137, 143, 155 to Xiaoyaojin Station and walk 50 meters to reach the South Gate.
- Metro: Take Hefei Metro Line 2 to Dadongmen Station, exit from Exit 4 and walk 800 meters to reach the South Gate of the park.
- Self-driving: There are Shouchun Road Parking Lot and Suzhou Road Parking Lot around the park with a total of 200 parking spaces. Parking is tight during holidays, so public transportation is recommended.
- Taxi/Car-hailing: Directly navigate to "South Gate of Xiaoyaojin Park" and arrive at the scenic entrance immediately after getting off.
Opening Hours
Daily opening hours are from 5:00 to 22:00. Xiaoyao Pavilion and the Three Kingdoms History and Culture Museum in the park are open from 8:30 to 17:30, with entry stopped at 17:00. The boat operation hours are from 8:00 to 18:00, which will be adjusted appropriately according to seasons and extended to 19:00 in summer.
Admission
Free admission. You can search for the official account "逍遥津公园" on WeChat to get the latest updates.
Online Booking
Click here to jump to the Trip.com ticketing platform for ticket purchase.