The Yuexiu Park is another famous attraction in Guangzhou. The Yuexiu Hill became famous since the king of Nanyue (a vassal state of the Western Han Dynasty), Zhao Tuo, built a Chaohan Platform. It is said there built a Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) Pavilion during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), thus the Yuexiu Hill was also called Guanyin Hill. A notable ancient site is the Zhenhai Tower, where you can have a bird's-eye view of Guangzhou City. The major attractions of park also include the Five Rams Stone Sculpture, Sun Yat-sen Monument, the ancient city wall and the Rectangular Fort.
Zhenhai Tower
The construction in magneta colour is the Zhenhai Tower, which is a spectacular bright pearl in the cultural history of Guangzhou. Because of having five floors, the tower was also named 'Five Floor Tower'. Built in 1380 by a vassal of Ming, Zhu Liangzu, it was firstly given the name 'Wanghai Tower', meaning the tower for watching the sea. Since 1956, it has been functioning as Guangzhou Museum.
Being the most well preserved ancient structure in Guangzhou, the tower is 28 meters (92 feet) high and 31 meters (34 yards) wide. The first and second floors were built with sandstone and the floors above the third floor were built with brick. There two red sandstone lions in front of the tower which were carved during the Ming Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), the Zhenhai Tower was once the highest building of Guangzhou.
Five Rams Stone Sculpture
There is a beautiful legend about the Five Rams Stone Sculpture: once upon a time, there were five immortals came to Guangzhou from the South China Sea. Their clothes were in five colors and they were riding on five rams in different colors. In the mouth of each of the rams there was a straw of paddy with six rice heads. The immortals sent the paddy to the local residents and wish them free from famine for ever. After that the immortals flied away while the five rams were left and turned into stone rams.
According the ancient legend, the five stone rams were built on the Yuexiu Hill in 1959. The sculpture with its foundation bed is 11 meters (36 feet) high and it volume is 53 cubic meters (69 cubic yards). It was carved with more than 130 blocks of granites. It is said the stone material only for the head part of rams weighed over 2 tons. Now the Five Rams Stone Sculpture was regarded as the emblem of Guangzhou and thus Guangzhou City has also got the name of the 'Ram Ctiy'.
Sun Yat-sen Monument
The Sun Yat-sen Monument was built in memory of the great democratic revolutionist-Sun Yat-sen. Located on the top of the Guanyin Hill, it was built in 1929 designed by the famous architect Lu Yanzhi. Being 37 meters (121 feet) tall, the body of the monument was built with granites and there is stairs inside leading to the top. The bottom part is quadrate and there are 26 ram-head stone sculptures on the foundation bed, symbolizing the Ram City. On the front surface of the monument is huge granite about seven meters long and four meters wide, on which carved the will of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
Ancient City Wall of the Ming Dynasty
Walk pass the monument and turn west, visitors will see a section of ancient city wall which is over 200 meters (219 yards) long. It looks as if it is hidden by the jungles. However, the city wall is far longer than 200 meters. It originates from Small North Gate (currently Small North Garden) in the east and ends at the Big North Gate (currently the cross of Jiefang North Road and Panfu Road) in the west. Spanning the Yuexiu Hill, it stretches over 1,100 meters (1,203 yards). It is now Guangzhou's oldest and the only section of ancient city wall of the Ming Dynasty that has been preserved.
Entrance Fee: Free
Opening Hours: 06:00 - 22:00
Transportation:
A. Bus Routes: Take Bus No. 5, 6, 10, 21, 24, 30, 33, 36, 58, 66, 87, 101, 122, 127, 133, 182, 184, 185, 187, 190, 191, 219, 220, 225, 233, 241, 244, 297, 518, 519, 529, 544, 547 or 550 and get off at Yuxiu Park stop;
B. Subway Line: Take Subway Line 2 and get off at Yuexiu Park station.
More Top Tourist Attractons in Guangzhou:
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Guangxiao Temple
Ancestral Temple of Chen Family Temple of Six Bayan Trees
