Escape Dashu in Wetland Parks

2019-07-23

The Great Heat, or Dashu, in Chinese lunar calendar, which means the hottest day in the summer, falls on July 23 this year. As with the Lesser Heart, they are both the solar terms to reflect the scorching summer heat.

During the Great Heat, it is customary for Chinese people to sunburn ginger, burn incense, and drink tea and mutton soup.

To escape from the summer heat, you can also visit some wetland parks which are less popular in Beijing. 

  • Xihai Wetland Park

The Shichahai Xihai Wetland Park covers an area of 10.5 hectares, including 7.4 hectares in the waters and 3.5 hectares of green space. The Park is a rare natural wetland in the city, blending into the surrounding historic spots. Dozens of aquatic plants like lotus, water lily, calamus and reed grow in the lake and nearly 700 shrubs like pines, willows, mountain peach trees and cherry-apple trees are planted along the lake.

  • Sanlihe Wetland Park

Sanlihe area of Beijing's Dongcheng district added a unique water scene to its urban landscape. In the park, there are a water-cascading pool, 4,000 m-long concrete road, 1,000 m-long wooden galley road and two stone forests where consist of various stones varied in size, shape and height. In addition, the four small wooden bridges and a thatched hut provide visitors with a place to rest and have some fun.

Baimaquan (literally white horse spring), another attraction in the park, is located at the west side of Sanlihe. It never stops running and naturally grows abundant dark green aquatic plants inside. The clear and drinkable water makes another appealing scenic spot in the park.

A few steps away is a cluster of traditional hutong buildings featuring grey tiles and walls. That's Beijing's Sanlihe, one of the "memories" of the old Beijingers.

  • Cuihu Wetland Park

Located in a predominant upper-stream pollution-free zone in Shangzhuang Town at the northwest of Haidian District, the Cuihu Wetland Park is known as the “Jiangnan Watertown” (a fertile land of fish and rice in southern China) of Beijing. This is the only park in Beijing approved by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of PRC as a state-level urban wetland park.

Rare wild waterfowls like great bustard, golden eagle, larus relictus and red-crowned crane can be found here every year, in addition to a splendid sight of numerous aquatic plants including water lily, reeds, cattails, calamus, lythrum salicaria, woolgrass and even utricularia vulgaris, a really rare insectivorous plant, can be seen in the lake.

  • Daoxianghu Natural Wetland Park

Encompassing 11.8 square kilometers, Daoxianghu (a lake in this park) scenic spot is situated in the northwest of Haidian District. The park features brilliant natural resources like its waterfront landscape, eco-friendly emerald lake wetland, fresh and lively idyllic scenery and pleasant environment.

Established in 1984, the park has a 600-mu (40.02-hectare) natural lake and the surrounding vast field. Surrounded by hills on three sides, the park reveals impressive scenery and a variety of freshwater fish in vast water of Daoxianghu. It is an ideal place for fishing and boating.

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