Sports park spruces up Minhang's image
(eastday.com)
Updated: 2005-02-21 08:56

In recent years, the creation of more parks has added to the beauty of Shanghai. Minhang Sports Park, adjacent to the newly constructed Minhang Gymnasium, is particularly impressive.

Walking through the park's main gate, visitors enter a world of emerald green grass and various waterways. As the park is extremely large, it is best not to attempt to see it all in one day. Go back many times and enjoy the scenic splendor it has to offer. And what's more, it's free of charge.

Bicycles and tour trains are available for visitors with special needs at a modest charge.

Opened to the public a year ago, the delicately designed complex sprawls across 84 hectares, making it the largest park in the district. In the pursuit of harmony between human beings and nature, this city forest features abundant greenery, including more than 200 different plant species, with green space occupying almost 80 percent of the park's area.

In the center is Jinxiu Lake. The 16.4 acre body of water is one of the main attractions of the park. Small powerboats are available for rent to those looking to putter around the lake.

A 1000-meter-long pebble stone pathway winds along the lakeside, which attracts many people to walk barefoot on the path for exercise. While enjoying a healthy walk along the lakeside, people can gaze at a variety of tropical plants that create an exotic atmosphere.

To the west of the lake lies a 5,000-square-meter wetland area. A 400-meter-long plank path zigzags through the wetland area where visitors can enjoy the natural and ecological characters of more than 50 aquatic plants. For those who enjoy climbing, many venture up the 25-meter-high Emerald Hill, where one can have an overlook of the entire park.

It is easy to imagine why the district's overworked crowds would like to flock to the park, mingling with tourists and families for lunch-hour escapes and afternoon picnics on the weekend.

According to Lian Zhengliang, vice director of the park's administrative office, the park attracted nearly 500,000 visitors last year.

Built under the theme "public sports park," the leisure complex features tennis courts, a miniature golf course, a fishing area and cycling tracks for children.

In the early morning, one can watch elderly people trying out the colorful exercise equipments, practicing martial arts and practicing the yaogu, or waist drum, as a way of self-expression.

According to Lian, a 1,000-meter-long flower-strewn path will be completed next month, which will offer a variety of spring blooms, including redbuds, peach blossoms and apricots. "We have already planted the first group of flowers. Next month, colorful blossoms will burst forth to perfume the air and delight the eye," said Lian.

Lian said the park has developed a volunteer team, consisting of some 600 volunteers, to help keep the park in great condition, which has been proved to be both efficient and effective.

The volunteers are mainly retired workers and students. Their duties include cleaning trash from the sides of the road and educating people who needlessly destroyed the grass.

Jiang Fengchi, a 60-something retired teacher, is one of the volunteers.

"I am so glad the local government made great efforts to create such a wonderful eco-friendly park, accessible to all of us. Everyone is responsible to keep the park clean and safe because it's our common home," said Jiang.

The district government spent 570 million yuan (US$68.67 million) to build the park, which enables district residents to enjoy the benefits of ecological and environmental improvement.

Lian mentioned the beautiful park view also helps increase the value of nearby real estate, noting nearby housing prices have reached 9,000 yuan per square meter, triple the price from a year earlier.

The district government has invested both time and money into improve the district's environment.

Thirteen years ago, the district's green space was only 80 hectares, according to district officials. By the end of 2004, the district's green space reached nearly 4,845 hectares, or 14 square meters per capita. Greenery covers 38.7 percent of the district.

The district's green space is not only growing in area, but also in accessibility. All the district's parks are free to the public since last September. What's more, 500 benches and 20 sets of exercise equipment have been added to each large-scale public park and greenland by the end of last year.

Address: No.456, Xinzhen Road

Opening hours: 5am to 6pm, April 1 to June 30 ;

5am to 7pm, July 1 to September 30 ;

6am to 6pm, October 1 to March 31

Tel: 5486-0606

Traffic: Bus763, 753, Xinhua Line, Metro Line 1