Baihuatan Park, which translates to "Hundred Flowers Pond," is one of the most poetic and cozy places in the center of Chengdu. Its history dates back to the Tang Dynasty: here the great poet Du Fu wrote his famous lines praising these places. The name of the park is surrounded by legend: when a poor girl named Ren washed the clothes of a sick monk in the local pond, hundreds of flowers bloomed on the surface of the water.
Today this park, located on the southern bank of the Huanhuaxi River, neighboring the Qingyanggong Palace and Du Fu`s Cottage, remains a favorite resting place for Chengdu residents.
Bonsai Garden: A Green Symphony Among White Walls
The main pride of Baihuatan Park is its collection of bonsai in the Sichuan style, numbering nearly a thousand exhibits. This is a true open-air museum where nature and art merge into one.
The bonsai are arranged among elegant white pavilions and stone walls, creating surprisingly harmonious compositions — here the principle of "a garden within a garden" is at work. The white walls serve as an ideal backdrop for the greenery, emphasizing the graceful outlines of dwarf trees and whimsical stones.
The Sichuan school of bonsai, which formed during the Eastern Han Dynasty and flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties, is distinguished by special power and naturalness. Among the exhibits are compositions of podocarpus, ginkgo, camellias, and azaleas, as well as amazing landscape bonsai made of sandstone and stalactites. In the Guoxiang Garden, which translates as "Garden of National Fragrance," you can see tens of thousands of rare orchids — a true kingdom of orchids.
Millennium Ginkgo Tree: A Living Legend
The heart of Baihuatan Park and its main pearl is considered to be the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, planted during the Tang Dynasty. This unique tree was transplanted here in 1986 from the ruins of an ancient temple in Wenchuan County. Local residents affectionately call it the "God of the White Fruit." The ginkgo grows on a special square in the center of the park, and every year from late November to early December its crown turns dazzling golden tones. At this time, the park becomes one of the most popular places in Chengdu for photography — the golden leaves covering the ground create a truly magical atmosphere.
Pond with Grotto and Leiyuan Waterfall
In Baihuatan Park there is an artificial pond with a picturesque grotto, which is part of the Leiyuan Garden — the "Garden of Rocks." The central element of this garden is an eleven-meter artificial waterfall, created in the image of the famous waterfalls of the Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. Under the waterfall there is a cave more than ten meters long, inside which stalactites of whimsical shapes create amazing sculptural compositions. This place is especially loved by tourists and photographers — the sound of water and the coolness of the grotto give the feeling of a distant mountain gorge in the very center of the city.
Canglang Bridge and Zuimei Pagoda
From the north gate of Baihuatan Park, you can see the beautiful Canglang Covered Bridge. From the north gate of Baihuatan Park, you can see the beautiful Canglang Covered Bridge. Zuimei Park located on the opposite bank. The bridge organically unites both locations into a single promenade space: on one side — the cozy gardens of Baihuatan, on the other — the green hills and pagoda of Zuimei Park. This pagoda, visible against the sky, creates a picturesque perspective and invites you to continue your walk.
Huiyuan Garden and Literary Heritage
Special attention deserves Huiyuan Garden — the "Garden of Wisdom," created based on the famous novel "Family" by Ba Jin. This architectural complex reproduces the style of western Sichuan estates from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China: white walls, gray tiled roofs, carved window frames. The pavilions house manuscripts, photographs, and personal belongings of the writer. The garden offers a unique opportunity to touch the literary history of Chengdu and feel the spirit of the old city.
What to Pay Attention To
Entry to the park is free, and it is open 24 hours a day. The best time to visit is early morning, when there are few people in the park and the soft light is ideal for photographs, or the pre-sunset hours, when the warm sun floods the gardens and pagodas. Be sure to find a spot by the water and simply sit in silence — this is exactly how Chengdu residents themselves relax.
In Baihuatan Park there are traditional tea houses with bamboo chairs, where you can order a cup of tea and watch the koi carp in the pond. In autumn, during ginkgo season, come at sunset — the golden leaves against the white walls and dark water create pictures of incredible beauty.
Continuing Your Route
Leaving the park through the western or northern gates, you can easily continue your walk. Nearby are the Cultural Park and the famous Taoist temple Qingyanggong — they are just ten minutes away on foot. You can also cross Canglang Bridge into Zuimei Park or head towards Huanghuaxi Park, which is a twenty-minute walk away. This route — from Baihuatan through Qingyanggong to Huanghuaxi and Du Fu`s Cottage — represents an ideal cultural and natural promenade through the western part of Chengdu, where poetry, history, and nature intertwine at every step.
