Xixi National Wetland Park: Combining Urban Life, Farming and Culture
By admin on 2015-01-14

Situated in the western part of Hangzhou, less than 5km from West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park is a rare urban wetland. With rich ecological resources, simple natural landscape and profound culture, Xixi is known as one of the Three "Xi's" along with Xihu (West Lake) and Xiling (the Seal Engravers' Society). It is the first and only wetland park in China combining urban life, farming and culture. Xixi has not only broad open views, but also a variety of water views. Warm and humid, the area enjoys a comfortable climate featuring abundant precipitation and four distinct seasons.

Three Causeway and Ten Sights

The natural and human landscape in Xixi are grouped into three causeways and ten sights: The three causeways are Causeway Fu, Causeway Lu and Causeway Shou, as in Chinese, the three words fu, lu and shou carry the meaning of fortune, prosperity and longevity. Causeway Fu is 2,300m long and 7m wide, stretching through the park from south to north. Across the bank span six bridges with the Chinese character "fu". Causeway Lu is 1,600m long and 7m wide, stretching through the core reserve area from west to east. It connects the ecological arboretum with the major scientific research project of the wetland and serves as an ecological bank. With a total length of 3,600m and a width of 4.5m, Causeway Shou is the longest of the three, stretching from south to north. Crisscrossing waterways and ancient trees form an ecological landscape.

The ten sights are Qiuxue Hut, the best scenery of Xixi and the sight that can be reached by boat only; Water Mirroring Red Persimmons; Exhibition of Dragon Boat Culture; Lotus Flower Eco-Reserve Area, the main area for bird-watching; Charm of Hong's Villa, the living place of the Hongs, which fostered a group of celebrities; Boat-rowing in the Moonlight, Fog and Water Fishing Village, a tourist center when one can enjoy local delicacies; Xixi Plum Villa, home to more plum trees and famed for its plum blossoms; Gao's Villa, and Music Appreciation in Hezhu.

Aesthetic Features of Xixi

Experts claim Xixi has four distinct aesthetic features: coldness, wildness, simplicity and elegance. Coldness suggests quietude as it is a tranquil place in a noisy city; wildness connotes nature as this is a pure land in human society; simplicity means plainness or the philosophy of 'back to nature' and elegance relates to the gathering of literary figures and artists. Thanks to its picturesque waterways and rural landscapes, Xixi has always been an ideal location for artists and writers to produce poems, calligraphy, paintings and epigraphy.

Recommended Tour Routes

The land route: Zhoujiacun Village (the main path for the entire park)---Plum and Bamboo Cottage (housing most of Xixi's 3,000 plum trees)---Bo'an Thatched Hut---Fog and Water Fishing Village---Xiaogu Bridge---Deep Pool Mouth (a port for the boats used in the annual Dragon Boat Festival)---West Corridor of the Deep Pool Port---Reserve Area of Shrimp and Dragon Sands---Xixi Plum Villa (home to more plum trees and famed for its plum blossoms). The whole route is about 8km long and takes more than 3 and a half hour.

The river route: Zhoujia Dock---Plum and Bamboo Cottage---Xixi Water Pavilion (a place for book collecting, reading and meeting friends)---Qiuxue Hut---Zhoujia Dock. You can choose to take an electric boat or row a boat by yourself. A completer tour of Xixi should involve a combination of land and river routes. Just take your time.

Dragon Boat Contest

It is said that Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) saw a dragon boat race when he came to visit southern China. With great joy, he called it the Dragon Boat Contest. In 2008, the dragon boat contest in Wuchang was included in the extended catalog of the first group of national intangible cultural heritage as a component of traditional Dragon Boat Festival. Tourists can watch the dragon boat contest and experience the 5,000 year old dragon boat culture through the exhibition.

Tips:
1. As an ecological park, Xixi can only accept 3,000 tourists in a single day. Reservation is advised.
2. The land ways are complex and unsignposted. It's easy to get lost. Be careful.