Located at the city center of Chengdu, Chengdu peoples' Park (Renmin Gongyuan) is a multi-function park which serves as a local culture center and an entertainment area. Chengdu peoples' Park (Renmin Gongyuan) was first built in 1911, orginally, it was called Shaocheng Park as the city center was once named Shaocheng in old times. Chengdu peoples' Park (Renmin Gongyuan) is the first park in Chengdu, presently, it's the relaxing center for locals. In sunny days, lots of people sit in the green shade, drinking jasmine tea, free chatting, reading newspapers or playing Mahjong. For the senior citizens, the park is good place to do exercises, such as dancing, singing or playing Chinese chess. Waling into Chengdu peoples' Park, visitors can see an epitome for the local life.
Chengdu peoples' Park is a green land in the city center. It is rich in trees, flowers and grasslands. A Stream runs through the park, with cobblestone paved at the river bed and the bank. An huge rockery at the eastern gate of the park is about 43m wide and 12m high, with an waterfall pouring down from the top. Orchid Garden has over 1200 pots of orchid, it boasts the largest one in Chengdu. The Bonsai Garden has over 200 bonsais in very vivid mini-nature, by which people can explore Chinese bonsai art. There is also an artificial lake in the park covers an area of 1.5 hectares, and tourists can rent a little boat to appreciate the beautiful scenery on the lake.
Year round, Chengdu peoples' Park holds various flower shows, among which Chrysanthemum show in autumn is most popular and attractive. Chrysanthemum is one of the top 10 famous flowers in China. Chengdu is one the cultivation center for chrysanthemum. Normally, the chrysanthemum show starts from the end of Oct., lasting almost 1 month to the end of Nov..All kinds of different shape and color flowers make the show a real feast. Besides the chrysanthemum show, Chengdu peoples' Park also hold lotus flower show in summer. In the breeze, appreciating the pink lotus flowers swaying in the green lotus leaves in the lake, people are immersed in the nature beauty. When Spring is coming, the flower show is also held at Chengdu peoples' Park. Flowers are all in blossom to welcome a new srping.
Besides sightseeing in Chengdu peoples' Park, most tourists would like to have a taste of local tea. Ordering a cup of tea, most often the jasmine tea, people can spend a whole afternoon in the park, just sitting in the bamboo chair sipping the tea and doing nothing at all. Chengdu peoples' Park is the perfect place to experience the local life of Chengdu people, only by doing so will you understand why Chengdu is called a "Relaxing Leisure City". There are many tea houses in the park, among which, Heming Tea House is the most famous one. It is the best-preserved and largest tea house in the park serving the traditional "Bowl-lidded Tea"(Gaiwan Cha in Chinese). Heming tea house has a history over a hundred years. Besides drinking tea, people also play the game Mahjong at the tea houses in the park, and enjoy Chinese massage and traditional Ear treatment as well. If you are hungry at the tea houses here, the owners will also serve serve famous snacks to customers, like dumplings, noodels and Pancakes.
