It's New Year again. Time flies. The wheel of time just rolls on, sweeping away everything in its path. Its advance brings a lot of new things, but it also crushes many beautiful old things. A few lucky survivors are the only tangible connection between people and the past. When people get nostalgic, they turn to them for comfort. Below are three old parks in Shanghai. Why not take out some time to re-visit these old parks and embrace the New Year in old surroundings?
Fuxing Park
Shanghai gathered a good number of foreign settlements from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. Fuxing Park is a nice place to feel like you've revived Shanghai's foreign settlement era.
Founded in 1909, Fuxing Park was once an exclusive entertainment park for French expatriates. It's located in the old Shanghai town and is one of Shanghai's oldest parks. Due to its French connection, the layout is different from ordinary Chinese parks. Other parks feature bridges, creeks and kiosks, but Fuxing Park features wide promenades and open meadows, more commonly found in European parks. Fuxing Park also boasts Shanghai's first merry-go-round.
With a hundred years of history, Fuxing Park lives in the minds of many Shanghai people. Before going to the park, visitors may go and read some of these books; it may help bring them back to the old days.
Location: No.105, Yandanglu, Luwan District
Tel: 021-53861069
Zhongshan Park
Founded in 1914, Zhongshan Park was renamed Zhongshan Park in 1941 to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, a pioneer of the Chinese revolution. Zhongshan Park is famous for its vegetation coverage, and it's located in downtown Shanghai. Considering Shanghai's high land prices, for a large park to survive downtown is something rare.
Zhongshan Park boasts both big regular meadows and delicate Chinese style gardens. People can also find a comprehensive set of outdoor exercise equipment. Kids may also love Zhongshan Park for its many slides.
Location: No.780, Changninglu, Changning District
Lu Xun Park
Shanghai is well known as a commercial hub. People easily ignore the place's cultural charm, but it's not fair. Shanghai is home to many famous Chinese writers. Eileen Chang is one of them. One of her novels has been adapted into the popular film Lust, Caution. Perhaps less known than Eileen in the western world, Writer Lu Xun definitely has had a profound influence on modern Chinese literature. Lu Xun Park is a park dedicated to him.
Lu Xun was a leading figure of the May 4th Movement. In those tumultuous years, Lu Xun's words were like a beacon encouraging Chinese people to fight for their future. Lu Xun Park hosts Lu Xun grave and a memorial dedicated to him.
The well known cultural road Duolunduo Road is just a 10 minute walk from Lu Xun Park. In the first several decades of the 20th century, the area around Duolunduo Road served as a gathering place for a bunch of pioneering Chinese authors. Now on Duolunduo Road people can find many statues and spots dedicated to commemorate these people and the events.
Lu Xun Park is also the first sportive park of China and it holds regular sports events. People can also ride electric barges and go fishing in the park.
Location: No.146, Dongjiangwanlu, Hongkou District
(online.sh.cn January 2, 2008)
