Green Lake (Kunming)

Coordinates: 25°3′1.51″N 102°42′8.2″E / 25.0504194°N 102.702278°E / 25.0504194; 102.702278

Panoramic view from the east, circa 1940s.

Green Lake Park, or Cui Hu Park (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Cuìhú Gōngyuán), is an urban park in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. It was established in the 17th century on the west side of the Wuhua Mountain and is sometimes described as a "Jade in Kunming".

The park consists, in effect, of a group of 4 small sub-lakes linked by bridges in the traditional style. The lake was originally a water reservoir for the city.

Brightly painted pavilions on the islands inside the park, tree-lined walks, flowers, and the local populace enjoying themselves by exercising in various specialist groups all add to the appeal of the park.

Green Lake is ringed by a street, and along the edge of that are restaurants and tea houses (some with rooftop dining), shops, and hotels, including the upscale Green Lake Hotel and Grand Park Hotel (formerly the Harbour Plaza Hotel).

During the winter months, black-headed gulls from Siberia migrate to Green Lake and entertain the crowds of visitors as they circle around and snap up bread, usefully provided by a herd of local vendors, thrown up into the air by tourists. There are performances of pieces from Chinese operas and of folk music within and around the park.

Located in the park is the statue of one of Yunnan's most famous patriots - Nie Er, the composer of China's national anthem.

Green Lake Park was visited during The Amazing Race 18 when the park was featured as the pitstop of the 5th leg.

The park is just below the main gate to Yunnan University. The most famous building on the lake is Jiang Wu Tang, a tourist attraction.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.