Yuexiu Park
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Located in the center of Guangzhou City, Yuexiu Park is the city’s largest park and a fantastic place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The park is a beautiful natural area dotted with a large amount of ancient cultural relics. The park has three manmade lakes and seven hills of the Yuexiu Mountain, which gives the park its name. There are several famous Guangzhou landmarks in the park, including the Five Ram Statue, the symbol of the city.
Located in the park is a Korean Tea Garden. It is filled with traditional Korean architecture, statues, walls, and tea trees. It has many different types traditional Korean teahouses, pavilions, and outdoor tea areas. It has meandering paths and streams which pass by each area.
The Five Ram Sculpture, the symbol of Guangzhou is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. According to legend, in Guangzhou’s ancient past, the area was a barren wasteland where farmers could barely grow enough food to survive. Five immortals riding on five goats, playing music came to the area. The goats each had sheaves of rice in their mouths which they left for the local people. The locals planted the rice and the entire area became fertile and abundant. The city is known as the City of Rams and the statue was built to commemorate this.
On one of the hills of the park sits Zhenhai Tower. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644),
the tower now houses the Guangzhou Museum. The tower was built the The Yongjia Marquis, when he
saw yellow and purple mists rising over the area. A local mystic told him that it was a sign
that a new Emperor would come to power. The Marquis built the tower on the site to try to
keep the prediction from coming true. The tower has been destroyed and rebuilt five times.
The museum houses artifacts exhibiting Guangzhou’s 2,000 year history.
